Path to Darkness
by Tyde
Summary: *COMPLETE!* Severus Snape - the man, the myth, the model...Death Eater - his lost love, regrets and his darkest moments. R/R would be appreciated! Language, violence, smidgen of nudity, grammar mistakes :oP
1. Acceptance

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**PATH to DARKNESS** by Tyde

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**Disclaimer thingie:** Absolutely anything and everything Harry Potter related belongs to JK Rowling (that Goddess) etc - is that good enough? :o)

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**_Chapter One – Acceptance_**

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Eleven year old Severus Snape spent the month of July 1970 sitting on the roof of his parents' house with his Cleansweep broomstick in hand and keeping a look out for an owl. His childhood had been a plethora of Hogwarts infused stories from his parents and he was incredibly eager to get there. The thought never entered his mind that it was possible he wouldn't be accepted to Hogwarts. All he could think about was potion making and Quidditch games. His father had taken him out to a secluded glen to teach him to become a chaser. His father, Paxen Snape had been a keeper in his day at Hogwarts and thought as his son was fast on his broom he could make a fair chaser. Sundays were usually spent in the glen throwing quaffle after quaffle in an attempt to thwart his father's excellent keeping skills. He wouldn't have minded having a few practice throws now but as he lived in a Muggle street that would have been out of the question. He instead tried to patiently wait for an owl. It rained for a few days that July but still he would sit out there with a sou'wester on and a pair of binoculars aimed north.

Severus thought about it later and convinced himself that Professor Puckranter the Headmaster had been keeping an eye on his place and that was why he sent an owl at some ungodly hour in the morning so Severus missed it turning up. He jumped down the stairs three at a time like he did every morning only to find an envelope addressed in purple ink sitting at his place at the breakfast table. His eyes lit up but he couldn't decide which to grab first – the letter or the moon cakes his mother Jyliana had placed on his plate. They were Severus's favourite type of food and she only made them on rare occasions. 

He decided the envelope was the best and shouted with glee when he read the words that he had been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Severus's father hugged him and mentioned that it would be nice to have another Hufflepuff in the family. The young boy reminded his father (from his many memories) that 'I'm not sorted quite yet Dad and you never know I might be a Gryffindor like Grandad'. Paxen Snape wasn't so sure about that (he'd seen the young boy run away from a fight once too often) and said maybe he'd be a Ravenclaw if his marks in Muggle school were anything to go by. Severus tried to keep the look of disgust off his face when his father mentioned Ravenclaw. That was just for smarty pants and stuck ups. It made him think of a girl from school called Hortense Hamilton who was always shooting her hand up into the air to answer every question asked by the teacher with an annoying simpering voice. 

_'The capital of Australia is Canberra' Hortense prattled off 'Not Vienna'. She smirked in his direction and he could hear his answer rattling in his head – the teacher was asking for the capital of Australia, not Austria! He admonished himself. How could you be so stupid? Now Hortense Hamilton is going to smirk at you all day and put you down at lunch time in front of all the older kids._

_'Miss Hamilton would you come up to my desk please?' the teacher asked. Severus's head snapped up. Was Hortense going to get into trouble for smirking at him? He watched in wonderment as the teacher talked quietly to Hortense and then she returned to her desk only to drag it over next to the teacher's desk. She gave Severus a self satisfied smile as she pranced back to grab her chair and then settled down in her new position._

_The teacher clapped her hands to get everyone's attention. 'Class, your attention please. Miss Hamilton has displayed very intelligent qualities and I have decided that she will be my special helper. If you have any questions about your work and find that I am busy please go to Hortense instead and she will be able to assist you.''_

_Severus was sure that if there was a world competition in smugness that Hortense Hamilton would surely be the queen. Unfortunately later in the week when he needed the teacher to mark his Geography exam he discovered that Miss Prissa was busy and Hortense was boring holes through his head with eyes filled with mirth._

_'Do you need someone to mark your ickle test, Severarse?' her voice dripped with sarcasm._

_He felt the heat rise up to his face 'My name is SeverUS, not SeverARSE!' he practically shouted the last bit and he received a scornful look from Miss Prissa. He sighed in resignation. 'Yes, Hortense' he spat out 'I need you to mark my test'_

_With a look of glee she extracted a red biro from her desk and proceeded to make a pattern down the page that looked very similar to something he'd seen in the village bakery around Easter time. In other words, Severus Snape wasn't very good at Geography and Hortense Hamilton was taking great delight in marking practically every answer on his test with a big red cross. Her face twisted into that familiar self satisfied I'm-better-than-you-all-and-I-know-it look._ _This time however the young boy couldn't stand it. He gritted his teeth and before he knew it the girl was floundering up near one of the vents on the ceiling._

It took the school gardener and a maintenance man to get her down from the ceiling. The school explained it away as a particularly strong air conditioner accidentally set on suck instead of blow. Severus always had a probably controlling his temper around particularly irritating people that liked to point out his faults, Muggles in this way particularly seemed to irk him. He was surrounded by Muggles all his life and would generally get on well with them but when one of them teased him he always tended to accidentally send them towards the ceiling or into the nearest lake. He never got in trouble for it because let's face it, what would Muggles know about magic? A lot of the children at school teased him though and called him freak because weird things always happened when he was around. He was always hoping that one day another fellow wizard in training would come out of the woodwork to talk to him but it appeared that Severus and his parents lived in the most Muggle intensive village in Britain. 

He let the image of Hortense, the most insufferable girl in his class, flying up to the ceiling linger in his mind and it was at that time that Severus S. Snape made up his mind to concoct a potion that would make the sorting hat choose Gryffindor for him. 'There is no way I could survive 7 years at Hogwarts with an annoying classmate like Hortense' he muttered. That decision was just a small part of what would eventually become the stepping-stones to a darker path for the young wizard.


	2. Barriers

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**PATH to DARKNESS** by Tyde

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**_Chapter Two – Barriers_**

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Concocting a potion to fool a magical creature that had been made by the great wizards who had created Hogwarts was never going to be an easy task. Severus sat in his father's library day in and day out desperately searching for something that might give him false bravery or chivalry but all he could come up with were potions for asking a witch to marry you or improving your manners at the dinner table. Frustrated beyond anything he'd ever felt before he headed off to Diagon Alley via floo powder determined to find something that would help him out. He told his mother that he going to look at the new broomsticks in Quality Quidditch supplies and might he go alone? Jyliana agreed as Severus had been going to Diagon Alley with her since he was a little kid but was careful to mention that he didn't accidentally go into Knockturn Alley for it was a place filled with dark evil magic and that one always gets corrupted going into such a place. Severus just rolled his eyes and promised. Every time they went to Diagon Alley she would say the same thing – it was like she thought he was stupid or something.

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Severus's floo powder trip brought him straight to the fireplace in Flourish and Blotts, surely this giant bookstore would be able to satisfy his need. The young boy searched through all the sections from Herbology to Demonology but still walked out of Flourish and Blotts empty handed. 'Surely the Apothocary would have some idea of where I can start, right?' he thought to himself. The bell above the door jiggled and giggled as he entered the potion supplies store. Mr Gilpinni looked up at the boy walking towards his counter with a determined look on his face. 

'Excuse me sir, I was wondering if I could ask your opinion on something?'

'Depends on what you're asking Master Severus'

'What if one wanted to trick a magical being into believing something that wasn't true? Is there a potion for that?'

'Just what exactly were you planning to trick? A vault door at Gringotts perhaps?' Mr Gilpinni's stare, Severus was sure, contained essence of fire.

'N-n-o sir, a..um..well, a..ah, a talking parrot actually' Severus felt his face flush and cringed at his own ineptness. Mr Gilpinni looked at Paxen Snape's son with an amused look on his face.

'A talking parrot? Don't talk such rot, there isn't anything of the sort, not here nor in the muggle world.' A smile played on his lips.

'Right then, ah..must have misunderstood something Dad said then..er, thanks anyway Mr Gilpinni'

'Did you need anything else Master Severus? Your school supplies perhaps?'

Severus was feeling more and more uncomfortable every second he spent in the shop under the potion dealers gaze and he scooted out without a word, his head down, too embarrassed to catch anyone's eye.

Paxen Snape's only son wandered along the shops of Diagon Alley not exactly sure where he wanted to go. His throat tingled and he thought he could do with a ice cream. Finding only two knuts and a sickle in his pocket he sighed and headed to Gringotts to get some money out of his vault. Pockets weighed down considerably by some galleons and sickles later he headed off to Florean's only to catch out of the corner of his eye a sign blinking:

**_Opernickelmeier's Potions – Confunding Magical Beings A Speciality!_**

Severus trotted over to the shop window not noticing that he'd crossed the line between Diagon Alley and Knockturn Alley and was firmly ensconced in dark wizard territory. 'It's almost like the shop owner knew what I was looking for' the young boy said to himself. As he entered the shop he didn't notice a swish and flick of a wand that changed the sign back to Putridious's Particularly Potent Potions – Every Dark Wizard's Dream. A cackling sounded from the bell above the door and Severus felt a chill run down his spine. The shop owner Mrs Cruella Putridious looked with mirth at the boy. He gulped and looked around him a little uncertainly. The ingredient containers were covered in spider webs and he noticed jars labelled Banshee Toenails and Milk of Basilisk. He remembered his father mentioning that milk of basilisk could only be collected by a parsel tongue. 'Everyone knows that parsel tongues were always bad wizards, what sort of shop in Diagon Alley would stock an evil ingredient like..' The young boy stopped his thoughts mid sentence when he glanced out the window and saw the shop fronts of Borgin and Burkes and a shop called Slithering Situations which seemed to stock a large amount of snakes and creepy crawlies. As Mrs Putridious reached for Severus's shoulder to turn him around he abruptly high-tailed it out of the shop and back into the well lit surroundings of Diagon Alley. Gulping down a Berrilicious Beetroot drink from Florean's he flooed back to his parents place in Coluber Crescent. Still shaking from his encounter of the potion shop in Knockturn Alley he returned to his room. He figured if it was that hard to find a potion to trick the hat into sorting him into Gryffindor then he'd just have to try his darndest, the muggle way, to make the hat believe he was brave and noble!

The rest of the summer holidays seemed to crawl by as Severus eagerly awaited his first day at Hogwarts. He'd spent the last week in his room as his mother couldn't stand to have him underfoot. He'd been hovering around her in the kitchen while she made potions and had been upsetting the family owl by tying giant packets of sweets to his feet to see how much the owl could bring to him when he was running low of supplies at school. For at least ten minutes every day he would put himself into a trance by muttering 'I am courageous and brave' in a hope to instil it in his nature to fool the hat. This was usually interrupted by Bekla the owl dropping surprise gifts of spiders and other creepy crawlies in his lap.

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After setting his owl alarm to go off at 11.30 that night Severus sat up in bed and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. He promised himself he would do this..he just had to get out of bed first. He silently pulled the covers back and went to his closet to pull on a jumper and some running shoes. He stashed his wand in his pocket and then opened his second storey window. A loud screech emanated from the old wood that had swollen in the joints and he cringed visibly. He listened, with his heart pounding in his ears, to see if his mother or father had woken up to the sound. He couldn't see but his mum did wake up, only to roll over and go back to sleep assuming the loud screech was only an owl.

The young boy climbed out the window and started to shimmy down the drain pipe. He inched down slowly not wanting to make noise and also not wanting to become a pancake on the ground. To his relief it was not long before he felt solid ground beneath his feet and he released his death grip on the pipe. He headed south down Coluber Crescent towards the Emerson Woods that circled his village. It was a fair walk and he found himself quite scared as his wand only provided a thin beam of light on the ground in front of him.

An owl hooted nearby and he shook a little. He'd grown up with owls but in the dead of night a hoot of a lonesome owl could still freak him out. After what seemed like a day but in actuality was half an hour he came to the end of Emerson Woods. There was a slight breeze he hadn't noticed before and it made the leaves rustle and it sounded like a snake hissing at him. He shook off the fear and charged right into the woods.

It was rumoured that in the south part of Emerson Woods there was a haunted cave. Flashing the beam from his wand around eventually he found the dank chasm in the side of a hill covered in trees and heather. He crawled into the cave and settled down for a night of rustling bushes and distant werewolf howls.

You see Severus thought that if he could spend a night in the haunted cave without screaming or running home then he would have gained enough courage to be selected for Gryffindor. What he didn't realise was that in wanting so desperately to be in Gryffindor he was showing his cowardice to the world. He didn't have the courage to except whatever the hat would tell him. This cowardice, albeit determination, would place him in a house that he never dreamed he would be a part of.


	3. Beginnings

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**PATH to DARKNESS** by Tyde

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**Author's note:** Thanks for the review K-da-great. It's hard to know when to time these things so people are on-line to read them. Then of course there is the possibility that they may find the description boring and not click on it anyway. Thanks for clicking, reading and reviewing – I appreciate it!

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**_Chapter Three – Beginnings_**

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'All systems are go!' Severus shouted downstairs to his parents. D-day (as he liked to call it) had arrived and he literally bounced out of bed to triple check that his trunks were all packed. 'Mum, Dad, let's go now!' he yelled as his pounded down the stairs to where his parents were enjoining some tea in the kitchen. He thought he was about to burst with excitement. Hogwarts held so many opportunities that he couldn't fathom.

'But Sevi dear the train doesn't go until 12.30 – we'd be waiting around for 5 and a half hours! Besides, you're still wearing your pyjamas'

'Please Mum!' he whined while pulling off his pyjamas and tossing on some Muggle clothing from the washing basket in the hall.

Jyliana Snape smiled at her son. She'd never seen him so excited about anything in his life. If he was anything like her he'd be impressing the potions master with his already inherent skill. He took to potion making like a giant squid to water when she first started teaching him on his second birthday. Severus was a sharp little boy and he picked up many of the standard potions quite well. By the time he was ready for school he already had a great deal of medicinal potions under his belt and a few to ward off evil spirits (just a touch of Propulsare potion behind your ears kept away most evil ghosts and poltergeists). He'd been an avid student and Jyliana had been quite happy to teach him. Who knows, maybe one day he could be a potions teacher at Hogwarts or work in the Medicamentum Lab in London that did potion work for the Ministry of Magic. As his mother mused about his future young Severus dragged one of his trunks out into the driveway so he could start loading it into the back of a 1962 Morris Minor his dad had borrowed from the neighbour next door. Paxen Snape had obtained special permission from the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts division to enlarge the boot of the car so they would be able to fit everything in. As Paxen tended to be a little forgetful it was up to Jyliana to remember to fix the boot back to it's original size so poor old Mr Dotterington didn't have a heartattack when he opened the boot to discover it was now the size of a small lounge room.

Severus looked around at the other houses in Coluper Crescent, the little street he'd grown up in. Old Mr Dotterington had left his gardening tools in the front yard again, Mrs Parkinson from across the road was kissing her husband good bye as he left for work and she waved as Severus. He waved back and noticed an owl perched on her roof. Was she a witch? Or maybe the owl was resting after flying a long way to deliver a message to somebody. As he looked more intensely as he realised that the owl wasn't moving he discovered it was just a bronze statue of an owl sitting next to the rooster on the weather vane. He looked up and down both sides of the street in the hope that someone else was packing fervently for Hogwarts but all he saw around him was Muggles. He knew for a fact that in the next street – Acredula Circuit – there was an old wizarding couple that worked for the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts division but their children were long grown up and Severus had never found another fellow young wizard to be friends with. Not only was he excited about going to Hogwarts for the new lessons he would learn in magic but he was also anxious to make true wizard friends that he could play with in summer and send owls too when he was bored. 

As Severus had been told countless times by his grandfather Crispin, Paxen's mother had been a Muggle and didn't even know Paxen's father was a wizard until the boy was born and odd things started to happen. Paxen liked to stay close to his parents so that is why Severus grew up in such a Muggle intensive environment. It was good for the young boy as it helped him to grow up well rounded and tolerant of other peoples and cultures. It also left him a little naïve in how the world operated and he assumed that if he told people he was a wizard they would accept him just as people were accepted when they told others about their differing religions and beliefs. When he started going to Muggle school he was pulled out of the middle of class by his father who was steaming at the ears. He told him in no uncertain terms was he to freely announce to his classmates that his father and mother were magical people. 'Muggles don't understand' he had said. 'Their brains function differently from ours and telling them something like this will spread rumours and cause the Muggles to jump to conclusions.' Severus just nodded his head numbly and promised never to bring it up again. He'd never seen his father so angry. Unfortunately for him the damage was done and Severus became the butt of everyone's jokes and whispers of 'freak' were heard frequently as he passed the other students in the hall. 

Jyliana joined her son in the front yard and helped him shove the trunk into the boot. 'Sevi why don't you go in and have some breakfast. I cooked you some moon cakes with red bean paste this morning'. She didn't have to tell him twice and he almost tripped over his own feet in his haste to get into the kitchen.

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'All aboard! Hogwarts Express to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and Hogsmeade due to leave'. The black haired young boy stuck his head out of the window of his compartment to wave goodbye to his mother and father.

'Bye Mum! Tootles Dad! Remember I tested Bekla with 5 pounds of sweets so feel free to send her along in a week or so.' He noticed his mum had a little tear in the corner of her eye and he realised that as her only child she'd be very lonely without him around. 'Don't worry Mum – I'll be home at Christmas and you can organise to meet me in the fireplace whenever you want – after I tell you what house I'm in of course!' He noticed his dad was wearing his Hufflepuff tie and he grinned. 'I'm gonna be a Gryffindor Dad, just like Grandpa, I know I can be. I'm heaps braver than I was last summer, truly I am!' The train jerked then and he watched out the window as his parents became smaller and smaller and were finally whisked from view as they whizzed around a corner. He munched on a few Botts beans (watermelon, grass and pickle) and watched London whiz by. A few girls had joined his carriage but apart from the usual 'hellos' nobody had really said anything. One girl was quietly reading a book called 'Firebolt the Fearless Dragon' and the other two were swapping wizard cards from their chocolate frog packets. 

An old wizard came along the passageway with a trolley full of goods but everyone seemed stocked up so he just kept walking. Appearing from behind him was a boy of 11 with bright blue eyes and a nervous twitch on the tip of his nose. He walked rather cautiously into their compartment and walked straight up to Severus.

'Hello there. M-m-my name is Slatero. Slatero Quirrell'

'Hello Slatero, I'm Severus Snape.' He offered his hand and Slatero grabbed it gratefully. He kept looking behind him to the door of the compartment as if frightened that a dragon or something would come bursting through it.

'May I sit?'

'Please do.'

'You must excuse my nervousness, but a couple of compartments down they appear to be attempting spells and they just set fire to someone's hair.' He flattened his hair as he said this and Severus noticed it was a kind of dull blonde but loads of springy curls. 'I couldn't imagine having to wear a hat all the time until it grew back. It would look rather queer* don't you think?'

'What about a wizard's hat? That wouldn't look queer*. Wizard's wear them all the time.'

'Could you imagine trying to get a hat on over all these curls? It would be ridiculous!'

'But if they set fire to your hair you wouldn't have any curls to interfere with the hat would you?' Sevi was quite enjoying this conversation, after all they were talking spells and wizard hats – already a notch up from any conversation he'd had in primary school.

'Good point.' Slatero tried to smooth down his hair again as if afraid they'd somehow set it on fire without him noticing.

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'Come along now. All first years this way. Hurry up now' A very tall, thick set man with an enormous bushy black beard was swinging a lantern by the windows of the compartments making sure that all first years had stumbled towards him. Severus looked up at the groundskeeper and smiled. His mother had told him about the groundskeeper that had been at Hogwarts when she was there and he knew this one would also be taking them across the big lake in little boats towards the castle. He looked rather young to be a groundskeeper, though Severus was sure he wasn't more than 20 or so, but he made up for his age by his immense size. 

Severus and Slatero grabbed a boat and the girl that had been reading the book in their carriage also took a seat in their little boat but said nothing. They were beginning to think she'd lost her tongue or something.

The little boats took off across the lake and Severus didn't think he'd ever felt something so exciting. He could see Hogwarts looming up before them and it truly took his breath away. The turrets seemed to reach so high into the clouds that they never stopped. He could see the edge of what must surely be the Forbidden Forest and a flag waving in the distance that was perched atop a quidditch stadium. His heart thumped with delight and he could see that his new friend Slatero was equally enthralled. The girl never seemed to take her nose out of the book though but that didn't matter. He was in an enchanted boat with a fellow witch and wizard heading towards a school of witchcraft and wizardry. Finally after so many years of tears and frustration he would be attending a school where he belonged. Where, although they each had their individual personalities, they were the same, the same because of the blood of magical folk that flowed through their veins.

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**Author's note:** *Queer meant unusual before it meant anything else, okay? Oh and before you start thinking it, the girl in the boat isn't like Hermione – you don't even get to find out her name, I just wanted three people in the boat :o) I seem to be updating every day this week, it probably won't continue as such though :o(


	4. Slytherin

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**PATH to DARKNESS** by Tyde

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**_Chapter Four – Slytherin_**

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He was huddled in a receiving hall at what he guessed was the front of the school. Coming up from the lake underneath the school they'd twisted and turned so many times he was feeling rather dizzy. The gaggle of excited school children huddled together and waited for someone to greet them. A voice that didn't quite seem to be on this plane of existence interrupted their chatter. It took the young ones a while to locate the source of the voice and several of the students with Muggle parents took a quick intake of breath at the sight of the ghost.

'Welcome to Hogwarts, I'm Professor Binns. The final preparations are being made in the Great Hall for your arrival and in just a little while I'll be leading you through the doors towards the front of the room so that you may be sorted into your houses. I trust you are familiar with them – Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, Slytherin and Gryffindor. I myself was a Hufflepuff and I pride myself on the fact that our houses's namesake fought in the Great Goblin Wars of 850 and 895. Goblins are a terrible menace, such as Gorka the Grotesque. I remember back when I was in school that the..' Professor kept rambling on and if they hadn't been standing Sevi and Slatero were certain they would have fallen asleep. The professor had the most monotone voice they had ever heard and they had a sneaking suspicion that he didn't know that he was dead. This was further demonstrated when he tried to open the door and found to his shock that his arm just went straight through the door handle. Muttering something about counter curses he got a student to open the great doors and Severus found himself for the first time in the Great Hall his parents had told him about.

Bewitched candles floated in mid air making everything in the room sparkle. The ceiling was dark and stormy and occasionally a flash of lightening would illuminate the house tables and the faces of the older students. He looked out the window to check to see if outside was raining but all he could see was an all consuming blackness. He felt self-conscious walking up the aisle between the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff tables. It was almost like they had been put in that specific order just so he could be reminded of his mission. He started his silent mantra of 'I'm brave and courageous' as he and Slatero came to an abrupt stop at the front of the Great Hall. He looked up at the teachers' table and saw the groundskeeper on one end and a whole lot of other teachers. The old man sitting in the middle with flowing robes of blue with chocolate brown embroidery of little birds of prey looked to be the Headmaster. At odd intervals the birds would flap their wings and give the impression that the fellows robes were covered in bugs. He had a scrap of a beard that curled under his chin in a little twist and his brown eyes matched the embroidery on his robes. He was the oldest person Sevi had ever seen and he was surprised the man wasn't yet in his grave. The Headmaster seemed to be staring off into the distance and Severus had a feeling he may have been asleep with his eyes open. The professor sitting on his right had sparkling blue eyes and a beard that didn't seem to stop. The young boy couldn't see the end of it as it disappeared under the table. The professor's eyes seemed to give him a look of vague amusement or a flash of interest he couldn't determine what. He suddenly felt very aware that the mantra was still running through his head 'Must be the Divination teacher' he thought to himself 'Can hear what's going on in my head? Thinks he knows what's going to happen? Well I'll show him up something proper when the hat puts me in Gryffindor!'

The head boy and girl brought out a stool and the sorting hat while Professor Binns consulted a ghostly piece of paper with student names. Severus stared at the sorting hat. 'That's what I've been afraid of?' he thought 'A patchy, dirty old hat? Don't know why I was even thinking of getting a potion to bewitch it, you could probably convince it that it said Gryffindor because it's so old and probably losing it's mind..that is if it has one?' He wasn't looking at the hat when the tear at it's brim opened up and it began to sing it's song. All people in the hall were deathly silent because, as you know, the song was different every year and they were enthralled to hear what it came up with this time.

_He stitched me up with magic lore  
And brains a little too  
That great wizard leader you all know  
Godric Gryffindor  
Sly Slytherin was by his side  
And so too Hufflepuff  
It's best we not forget them all  
One more, it's Ravenclaw  
They built these walls from magic stone  
These walls we all hold dear  
Now we should get round to it  
The purpose of why I'm here  
It's sort of hard to explain  
It's sort of hard to factor  
But you're to be sorted now  
Not by name but nature  
Ravenclaws are a beauty  
Of the mind as well as flesh  
Never has one been so wise  
And quick to make a jest!  
But Hufflepuff are quieter  
And never so loyal will you find  
Harder working than a house elf  
But paid by self in kind  
Gryffindors are hardy and brave  
With chivalry on their side  
With courage as their game  
There are many they will save  
Slytherins are slippery ones  
And determined they are at that  
They hardly need to put me on  
Before I sort them out  
So here I am the Sorting Hat  
The one you hear about  
I sit there on a shelf all year  
To think up what I'll shout  
So plant your bottom on the stool  
And plonk me on your head  
I know you've been waiting many years  
To have your little mind read_

The last line delighted Severus. _To have your little mind read_. So if the hat read his mind and heard that he was saying brave and courageous then he'd be a shoo in for Gryffindor. Happy with this knowledge Severus didn't notice that 10 people had already been sorted and Gryffindor and Ravenclaw were each five people larger.

'Severus Snape' Professor Binns called out in his wavery type drawl. Walking towards the stool he sat down while screaming 'I am brave and courageous' in his head. He plonked the hat on his head and waited. The response from the hat was immediate.

'You can't tell me which house to put you in. I'm the sorting hat boy and you'll go where you are told.' The voice rang out loud and clear in his ear, though not unkindly but more amused, and didn't sound at all senile. Severus gulped. 'SLYTHERIN!' the hat shouted out to the people in the hall. The boy's heart dropped into his stomach and it felt like a block of ice. Slytherin? No one in his family's history had ever been put in Slytherin. He would have been happy to be put in Hufflepuff or even Ravenclaw now. He would have dated Hortense Hamilton for Merlin's sake if it had saved him being sorted into Slytherin.

Getting up from the stool he felt his weak knees buckle for just a split second before they righted themselves. Looking out at the sea of faces at the Slytherin table he could see them clapping that a new Slytherin had been assigned but he couldn't get over the fact that a lot of the seventh years looked slightly dangerous. Walking past the remaining first years to be sorted he almost walked into a pretty young redhead. She smiled at him sweetly and he found himself smiling back with a goofy look. He had never found any of the Muggle girls at school cute and he began to think it must have been the magic in this girl's veins that made her different. She blushed and looked down at her feet and the hair fell across her bright green eyes. Severus drifted off to the Slytherin table and promptly tripped over his own feet just as a boy named Longbottom was being sorted into Hufflepuff. Peals of laughter rang out over the hall and a Slytherin prefect shook his head in embarrassment. He was heard to mutter 'They get worse every year these young ones. I only hope one day he'll uphold the values of Slytherin and become great'.

Severus plonked down onto the bench next to a boy named Macnair and hid his face in his hands. Several more students were sorted and the black haired boy kept his head in his hands not even noticing that Slatero Quirrell had also been sorted into Slytherin. For some reason when Professor Binns called out the name Lily Evans it made Snape raise his head. He saw that Lily Evans was the red head with the magical aura about her. He took a sharp intake of breath as she sat down on the stool. Surely this vision of a girl wouldn't be sorted into Slytherin, she just seemed too pure, but that is what our young boy wished with all his heart. He wanted Lily Evans in Slytherin because there was something about her that drew him to her. He needed to find out why she had mesmerised him. He wanted to have her close to him. He barely heard the hat shout out Gryffindor, but he saw, as if in a blur, as she walked towards the Gryffindor table and a boy with black-rimmed glasses slapped her on the shoulder and congratulated her. 

'That's one of the ones from the t-t-train that were doing s-s-spells' Quirrell whispered into his ear.

Severus jumped and admonished his friend. 'Don't do that Slat, geez – you scared me half to death.'

'I'm just saying' Quirrell cowered a little. It was something that he would do a lot of in the future.

'Thank you Quirrell' Severus snapped. 'You can shut up now'. Under the table Snape had a fist clenched so tight his nails were digging into his palm. Already he didn't like this Gryffindor boy with the wild hair and black-rimmed glasses. Severus Snape soured that day..if only a little.

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**Author's note:** Is it really that hard to review? I take anonymous reviews! Please, please, please, I'm begging you! I'm sad and pathetic and have some unpronounceable disease that occurs when people don't review your stories. *cough* Puhleeeeease??


	5. A Pretty Flower

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**PATH to DARKNESS** by Tyde

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**Author's note:** Yay! Two more reviews. I think that unpronounceable disease is clearing up.

Hey **bluemeanies** you cool reviewing type person! – Well I think most people would agree that Binns is weird anyway but seeing as they didn't bother with alphabetical order in the movie I didn't bother with it either.

**CrinkleCutRuffles** you anoymous type reviewing person – Do we really know how it ends? *evil grin* I could just re-write the entire history of the brilliant JK Rowling's Harry Potter books. Ah hem – but I won't, hell I couldn't do it! She's too fabulous and so are the books! I could never compete with that.

Oh and **Kelly** – how could I not mention the very first reviewer in my notes? Plus you keep saying nice things about my writing so that makes me want to put you as the beneficiary in my will :oP

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**_Chapter Five – A Pretty Flower_**

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Lily Evans. The name was so simple, so delicate and could so easily turn Severus to mush when he heard it called out in class. He used to think parents that called their children after flowers were a little daft but Lily really suited her. It wasn't as common as Rose and it wasn't as weird as Petunia. Not that he'd ever met anyone called Petunia and if he did he may not have been able to control his laughter.

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His very first night in the depths of the school where Slytherin house resided was interesting. He'd met all the other first years and his circle of acquaintances had now grown from just Quirrell to include Lucius Malfoy, a fellow named Goyle who couldn't seem to remember his first name and a second year called Macnair he'd been sitting next to at the dinner table. Macnair talked for ages about all the magical creatures he'd had as pets and how a lot of them didn't live very long. Sev thought the reason they didn't live very long had nothing to do with natural causes and everything to do with Macnair. They had played Exploding Snap and wizard's chess by the fire until it was time for candles out. Clambering down the ladder to his chamber Severus was amazed to find a giant wrought iron bed covered in a dark green velvet bedspread with matching pillows embroidered with silver serpents. An opaque silver material could be pulled around the four poster bed for privacy from the other bed in the chamber. Quirrell fell down into the chamber as his foot caught in the ladder and when he looked up Snape saw that he too was mesmerised by their room. A Slytherin tie was slung over the back of his chair and his robes had been unpacked and magically embroidered with the serpent crest of Slytherin. Funnily enough the serpent was the only creepy crawly that Severus had never been afraid of.

His dreams that night were filled with fields of lilies that were being mowed down by an evil looking tractor wearing black rimmed glasses.

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His very first lesson that Wednesday morning at Hogwarts was Potions. Snape felt like this school was made for him, apart from that mistake that the Sorting Hat obviously made. Walking up to the outside of the classroom with Quirrell in tow they discovered a clutch of Gryffindors waiting outside to be let in. His dark eyes immediately sort out Lily and he was happy to discover that she wasn't house-ist when she smiled at him. A row of perfect white teeth emerged from her sweet pink lips and Severus thought he might faint. She was dreamy, positively dreamy. He sighed happily and then as they filed into the classroom promptly walked straight into the doorframe. A tall boy with shoulder length black hair laughed at him and nudged a boy with dark blonde hair that was by his side. Severus just looked at his feet and shuffled into class. He sincerely hoped that this wasn't going to turn into Muggle school all over again. He didn't think he could stand seven years of bullying from wizards.

He found the Potions teacher at the front of the classroom directing people to seats while tracing a seating plan into the air with her wand. She had mixed them up thoroughly and to his immense delight (and a bizarre stroke of luck) he saw his name appear beside the seat of L. Evans. Lily looked up at Severus and smiled. 'I'm glad we're sitting together. I'm Lily. I saw you were wearing Muggle made shoes and I thought I must have found another fellow magic person that is the first of their kind in the family. My sister thinks it's all very odd but my parents are so proud.'

It was almost painful to admit the truth. 'Severus Snape, but you can call me Sev. Actually my parents aren't Muggles, only my Grandma is a Muggle. Long line of wizards. Sorry to burst your bubble.'

'That's okay. So Mister Snape what do you think of Hogwarts so far?'

'It's brilliant isn't it? My parents used to tell me all about it and I just couldn't wait to get here. You must be impressed though, what with living in a Muggle world all your life.'

'As soon as I got my letter we followed the instructions to get to Diagon Alley and I think I spent just an hour staring at the signs in the street, there is so much to see isn't there? I didn't want to miss any little detail. Finally Mum told me to get moving cause we had to start buying my supplies. You should have seen my sister Petunia' Snape guffawed 'kick up a right royal stink about it. She sat down outside the Leaky Cauldron and refused to go anywhere with her abnormal sister in that abnormal place as she called it. I almost gave her a sock in the..' A glare from the Potions mistress caught her in mid-sentence and she meekly shut her pretty mouth. 'Sorry Professor Pomfrey'.

'Never mind my dear, just don't do it tomorrow or I may brew a potion to turn you into a toad' her merry eyes twinkled behind square pince nez as the class chuckled under their breaths.

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Severus walked out of Potions in a dream. He'd not only impressed Professor Pomfrey with his knowledge of ingredients but Lily's eyes had also taken on a little haze that was known as admiration. They'd organised to meet up in the library the next evening to look at some Potions books. His thoughts were interrupted by Quirrell running to catch up to him.

'Hey Sev, what did you think of Potions?'

'It was good. Who did Professor Pomfrey put you next to?'

'Some tall bloke named Sirius Black. He got very frustrated when we were doing the wart remover potion I thought he was going to explode. Pretty f-f-fiery temper but I really liked him. I don't know what all this talk about animos-amimis-anomos..'

'Animosity?'

'Yeah, aminosity is between houses. On my other side was one of Sirius's friends, Peter something. Very quiet bloke, thought he'd give me a run for my money in the stuttering stakes at one stage but we seem to have become firm friends.' Severus realised that he hadn't even looked at the person sitting on his other side. For all he knew it could have been that black-rimmed glasses boy that had congratulated Lily the first night. It seems Snape had eyes only for Lily in that class, it was a miracle he'd managed to concentrate on the lesson at all.

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That Friday night there weren't a lot of people in the library. In fact when Severus walked in to meet Lily at the allotted time there was only Madam Pince the librarian in view magically binding the padlock onto the door closing off the Restricted Section. She looked up sharply at the young boy as he clomped into the wooden floored library. She pointed her wand at a sign that said 'Quiet Please' and motioned for him to take a seat so he'd stop clomping around in such a loud fashion. He slipped into a seat that was away from Madam Pince's prying eyes and found that Lily had already arrived and was behind one of the book stacks with her nose buried in a book called Charming Charms.

'Psst. Lily!' he hissed through the book shelf.

She looked up immediately and smiled that wonderful smile. 'Sev you made it' He flushed a little as she used his nickname. 'I thought we could look up some charms as well as potions. Professor Flitwick said I was quite the charmer.' She threw a book entitled Pumpernickel's Potions at him and then joined him at the table.

'What are we looking for in particular?' he asked her while thinking that Professor Flitwick's comment was dead on.

'Anything and everything! Haven't you ever wanted to ensnare the senses, or bottle fame, brew glory? We could sell it for thousands of galleons.'

Catching on Severus joined in 'Or even put a stopper in death.' She looked him right in the eyes when he said that.

'A stopper in death? Now that would truly be a potion to treasure. Do you think we could really do it Sevi? You and I could put a stopper in death? All my grandparents died before I was born. My uncle died last summer and my dad hasn't been well for a while. Do you think we could truly put a stopper in death? That way no one could ever leave us' A small tear appeared in the corner of her eye and Sev felt her pain. His Nanna, Jyliana's mother, had died two years ago and he missed her bear hugs and her gifts of Fizzing Whizbees and when she'd take him out on her Nimbus 1000 for a spin around the village high above the clouds. He reached out to put a comforting hand on Lily's shoulder when suddenly she flung up her wand hand and pointed it at the book shelves in front of them.

'Chorea bibliotheca!' she enunciated clearly but quietly while swishing and flicking. A good distraction always cheered her up and this was one of her better ones. Suddenly all the books in the shelf had jumped out and were dancing a merry jig up and down in front of their desk. She smiled through her tears and Sev tried to stifle a giggle but couldn't hold it in and burst out into a loud chuckle which echoed loudly in the empty library. 

'MISTER SNAPE! MISS EVANS! What do you think you are doing?' Madam Pince's voice exploded across the room from her desk. She magicked them into a side room and proceeded to give them a telling off like they'd never had before and deduced 10 points each from their respective houses. She then banned them from the library for a month unless they were in the company of a prefect or teacher and sent them on their way back to their dormitories.

Sev and Lil (as she'd now insisted he call her) made their way to the end of the library corridor before bursting out laughing.

'Did you see the Charming Charms book doing a charming foxtrot?' Sev giggled holding his sides as they ached with laughter.

Nodding her head up and down and trying to talk Lily managed to spit out 'Pumpernickel's Potions did the funniest Charleston I've ever seen, I thought it was about ready to split it's spine.'

'We didn't really get any homework done, or find out anything about Potions or Charms though' Sev lamented.

Lily dipped into a curtsey in front of him. 'I don't think it mattered Lord Snape, I thoroughly enjoyed your company and we must do it again sometime' He grabbed her hand while he bowed to kiss it.

Putting on his best plummy accent he replied 'Absolutely Lady Evans, I had a positively spiffy time.' Noticing the Gryffindor ghost hovering around near one of the windows he gestured to Sir Nicholas and said 'Sir Nicholas will take you home Ma'am'. Nearly Headless Nick grinned at the charming Slytherin and offered Lily his cold, transparent arm so he might escort her safely to Gryffindor tower. It was no secret that the young Miss Evans was the prettiest girl in first year, Gryffindor or no!

'Good night Lord Snape, perhaps we might have high tea on Sunday?'

'I will arrange it with the chef, my dear'

As Snape trotted back to the Slytherin dungeon he found himself whistling a little Muggle tune under his breath. Something along the lines of holding her hand and letting him be her man.

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**Author's note:** The song was The Beatles – I Want To Hold Your Hand (circa 1963) if you're interested.


	6. Those Bloody Gryffinflaws

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**PATH to DARKNESS** by Tyde

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**_Chapter Six – Those Bloody Gryffinflaws!_**

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The first years from all houses settled into Hogwarts within the first couple of weeks and it was like they'd always been there. From dodging Peeves to sneaking to the kitchens for extra food all was well and good. Quirrell seemed to be getting more confident (and hanging around Peter a lot) and Sirius, Remus and James seemed to be getting into more trouble and conveniently blaming young Snape for the lot of it. Sev was sure they must have been using some sort of charm on the teachers because they always seemed to believe the side of Mister Potter and his cohorts over him. It probably had something to do with the fact that it was always old Headmaster Puckranter that caught them and half the time he'd forget what he was saying in the middle of a sentence so confusing him was no big deal. Severus was determined to catch them out at something but whenever he tried he'd always end up in the middle of it all. He thought if he couldn't be a Gryffindor himself, thanks to that bloody hat, he'd try and become friends with Potter, Black, Pettigrew and Lupin who were fast becoming the most popular kids not just in first year but in all of Hogwarts. As much as Snape tried to hate Potter he found it nearly impossible. When the boy wasn't picking on Severus he was telling jokes and getting everyone on side. 'He'd be a great head of Ministry of Magic someday' thought Severus.

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As soon as their month ban was up Lily and Severus went back to the library but were careful to be more quiet this time. Lily found a spell to put a charm on the air around them that minimised noise and the only looks they received from Madam Pince this time were ones of approval. She assumed of course that they came to the library to study and they were such diligent little students that the earlier incident was forgotten. Her thoughts were confirmed by the fact that Severus was coming first in Potions and nobody was even closer to touching Lily's high scores in Charms. A little bit of each other rubbed off on them and Severus found himself improving his Charms marks to just a bit over failing and Lily found that the majority of her potions no longer turned to soup, although sometimes soup was the better alternative.

If the Gryffindors knew that she spent so much time with a Slytherin surely they would not approve of it so Lily kept their library meetings a secret. James always wondered where she disappeared to at night but she just told him 'The library' with a haughty look and he backed off. He thought it best that maybe he keep his distance for a little bit while she cooled down. She obviously didn't want him to know why she spent so much time in the library so he respected her privacy and didn't press the issue further. 

Severus meanwhile told all his Slytherin friends that he was hanging out with Lily and this of course didn't translate well. He was mercilessly teased from noon to night and he couldn't see the difference between Hogwarts and his primary school anymore. From left to right someone was always leering at him, Quirrell seemed the only one to stick close by Sev, if only for the fact that Macnair kept telling the mop-haired boy that he reminded him of one of his Hackneyed Hares that hadn't faired too well and Slatero thought maybe Snape knew a potion that could make Macnair shrink to the size of a pea and hence remove the threat. He looked forward to the times he'd see Lily in the library and they'd giggle about spells, transfigurations gone wrong and Professor Binns rants about Goblin Wars. He couldn't imagine surviving the first term until Christmas if it hadn't been for Lily. Then in typical clumsy Snape fashion he screwed it up.

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The class stood in the Charms corridor awaiting Professor Flitwick to call them in. A few Slytherin boys threw mini paper brooms at each other and the girls giggled about Jonnie Cutglasses' new song that had been debuted on the WWW the night before. Sev barely blinked when one of the paper brooms hit him in the forehead. However as the folded paper broom started to smoke Severus picked it up in alarm and without even thinking opened it up. One of the Slytherin boys had constructed a Howler and his voice now exploded through the Charms corridor.

'Where's your ickle girlfriend Lilypoos, Severarse?' Snape tried to shut the howler in a blind panic but it was too late. A look of horror crossed his face when he saw Lily Evans walking up to the Charms classroom with her books clutched to her chest. 'Hiding her in the library again where you two go to play kissy face?' Lily dropped her books in shock and ran down the hall, tears blinding her eyes. _How could he tell them we hung out in the library? Did he do it just to embarrass me? _She'd never felt so hurt.

'Lily wait!' Snape made to follow but one of the Gryffindors had magicked his shoelaces together and he promptly fell over. Sirius Black roared with laughter at his successful trick and watched as Quirrell stooped to help up his friend.

'That's what you get when you mess with a Gryffindor, Snape' Black announced with fire flashing in his eyes. 'Stay away from Lily, you hear?'

_I don't think that's going to be a problem_ thought Severus bitterly. _Not after that performance. I'll be lucky if she even looks at me again._

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As Halloween whizzed past and so did half of November Severus found that people at Hogwarts didn't forget..anything. Lily still wouldn't talk to him and all the Slytherin's were teasing him about liking a Gryffindor and having a Muggle grandmother. He didn't know it was such a big deal when he mentioned it to Macnair one evening and now regretted opening his mouth, ever. For his whole life actually. Sometimes he couldn't help it and his mouth got him in trouble, not for talking back but for being naïve that people would be so accepting of things. He mused this over in a Transfiguration lesson one day and didn't even notice that the Gryffinflaws (as he liked to call Sirius, Remus, James and Peter) were planning something. They grabbed the pillows they were supposed to be turning into loaves of bread and held their wands at the ready.

'Hey Severus, catch!' Sirius magicked a pillow into Severus's face. The boy was too slow to block it and it hit him right in the nose. Peter doubled up in laughter, as did Sirius. 

'Got him a good one Sirius!' said Remus, the dark blonde haired one of the group, with glee. James grinned a little too until he noticed the look on Snape's face. He almost looked like he was going to cry.

'Come on fellas, you've had your fun. You know he didn't really didn't mean it, don't you Sevi?'

'Don't call me Sevi' he mumbled but a brief look of gratitude flashed in his eyes. He was the butt of jokes with this group of four, but James's general good nature always had him coming back for more and falling into the trap. To Snape's delight Potter had been spending less time with Lily lately (although he couldn't work out why) and this gave Sev the chance to get back into her good books. Since the incident in the Charms corridor she wasn't too happy with him at all.

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Snape found that Black's pillow in the face 'accident' was just the first of many tricks the Gryffinflaws would play on the hapless Slytherin. He tried to laugh it off, tell them – 'Good one chaps, remind me to right that one down' or get ultra sarcastic 'Got me again, gee you are good' on them but none of it seemed to stop them, besides his bottom was bruised and battered from the amount of times they'd summoned his chair out from under his bottom as he was sitting down. He tried his best to get back at the group by picking on either Peter or Remus but he soon discovered the group didn't care too much for Peter who at times gave them away by squeaking out confessions when he was pressured. Remus Lupin however was a different case altogether. Every few weeks or so Lupin would look sickly and Severus thought this was the best time to try to get in a trick or two but within a millisecond of him pointing his wand towards Lupin, Sirius Black would be in his face with thunder in his eyes and a wand firmly positioned between Severus's eyes. 'Try it Snape and you'll be eating your roast quail through a straw.' Black stated through gritted teeth. Severus swore to Merlin that sometimes Black even growled at him if he so as looked in Remus's direction. Snape knew there was something odd about Lupin and gosh darn if it took all of his years at Hogwarts to find out what it was it would be worth it. He hated the way the Gryffinflaws snuck around the castle always appearing seemingly out of nowhere or smiling smugly at portraits and statues as they passed them. Even Peeves seemed to leave them alone for some unknown reason. They ruled the school, and as first years there was something very wrong about that.

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**Author's note: **I didn't really like this chapter. Too short, too forced? Something, I'm not sure. I get impatient when I'm writing and I've starting writing chapter eight before chapter seven has even gotten a look in! Silly me. I know the name Gryffinflaws is really bad but I wanted something to kind of rhyme with Gryffindor. Other alternatives were Gryffinbores and Gryffinwars. There was a fleeting second of it being Gryffinwhores – but really, where does that fit in?


	7. A Surprise

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**PATH to DARKNESS** by Tyde

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**Author's note:** Might I say, feeling a little down in the dumps, until **Emily** sparked up my day. I swear to god if you ever find me dying on the side of the road an IV drip of story reviews would have me up and bouncing with the best of them. To answer your question **Em** (mind if I call you Em? :oP I have a friend called Emma and I call her Em so it's just something I do when I 'meet' someone else called Emily or Emma), I update as much as I can – lately it's been a chapter a (working) day, although this one makes two chapters today! It's a time zone thing. I'm just waiting for the writers' block to hit me in full force. I know where the story is going..it's just a matter of how to get there!

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**_Chapter Seven – A Surprise_**

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'Out of my way Severarse.' The Slytherin prefect shoved the boy face first into a wall as he breezed past him in the hall. Severus heard a slight cracking noise and to his horror discovered his nose was bleeding and probably broken. Damien Sniggflabbin stopped and sneered. 'Oh no, ickle Severarse got an ouchie? Get your Mudblood dripping face away from me, you might infect me or something.'

Despite the pain in his face he tried his best to stand up to the bully. 'What did you call me?'

'Mudblood, you git. Macnair said your grandmother's a Muggle, doesn't make you pure then, do it? Purebloods always go into Slytherin. Never had a Mudblood in the whole history of the school in Slytherin house, Salazar would rather have died before allowing that. What's your excuse Severarse? Wanted to be amongst the great? What'd you trick the hat or something?'

_I tried_ he thought bitterly. Now he was beginning to regret that decision if it meant being landed in Slytherin house with this wanker as a prefect. But instead something rose up inside of him, something he was beginning to recognise not as courage but pure unadulterated determination. 'Push off Sniggflabbin and go annoy someone who gives a crap. Frankly, you bore me.' He then turned around holding his head up high and walked down the hall to find the staircase that lead to the infirmary. Sniggflabbin just stood in the hallway with his mouth agape. 'Maybe he will make a decent Slytherin after all' he mused.

After Madam Ixilee fixed his nose he headed straight to the Owlery to send an owl to his parents. If nary a Mudblood had been in Slytherin before then why was he chosen as the first? Or more importantly was someone in his family telling fibs?

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It was several nerve wracking days before he received a reply back from his family. He was surprised to see that it wasn't his father or his mother that replied but it was the scrawly handwriting of his Muggle grandmother that shined up to him from the page in a cyan-coloured ink. It started off just the way any parchment letter from your grandmother would:

_My Darling Severus_

_I hope you are well and that they aren't working you too hard. Your grandfather and I are missing you a lot and so is the cat. I received an owl from your parents that contained your letter you sent. They thought as I was the cause of the teasing that I should reply to you. Severus, we always strove to tell you the truth as a little boy but I begged your grandpa not to tell you my secret as it would only confuse you. It scared us that you were sorted into Slytherin. Not because as that prefect says you were a 'Mudblood' but because it was finally time to tell you the truth. I never wanted to tell you, I wanted you to go through life thinking that your grandmother was just a hapless Muggle that had fallen in love with a wizard. I didn't want you to know that I was a Squib._

_I was an embarrassment to my parents as a child as I struggled to keep up with their home teachings when I wasn't accepted into Hogwarts. They hid me in the house during school terms and told all their friends that I'd been sent to Beaubaxtons Academy instead as I was a fluent French speaker. Your parents don't know that I'm a Squib, they are quite happy to accept that I'm a Muggle. Your grandfather has told the story many times of when your father was born and he 'told' me that he was a wizard. It used to amuse him. I ask that you keep this a secret as I have done all my life and tell no one. Being a Squib takes away your ability to have magical ability but it doesn't take away your magic blood. I know how cruel school children can be but I'm sure you can come up with something that will make them believe the truth that you are pureblood and put this nonsense to rest. _

_Yours in Merlin_

_Paracita Glovenok-Snape_

Severus smiled _I'm a pureblood, I always have been and Grandma is a Squib _his mind whirled. How could he prove to Slytherin house that he was pureblood without revealing his grandmother's secret?

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The Christmas break couldn't come quick enough for Severus. Just like on the first day of school he leapt out of bed and triple checked his trunks were packed up and locked shut. The thought of going home to his parents for the break filled him with an immense delight. He patted his back pocket to see that he had the last letter he'd received from his grandfather in there. For the past month they had been owling back and forth trying to come up with a solution to his Mudblood problem. Crispin had suggested a few lame ideas that Severus brush aside instantly in his mind. Tell them it was a joke? Why would a pureblood Slytherin joke about having any Muggle relatives? It just wasn't the done thing. Begging Puckranter to use the hat to reassess which house he belonged in only solved his house issues? It didn't gain him any respect. That's why Severus had snuck out very early in the morning and headed down to the Hogsmeade Owl Post Office to send an urgent owl to London. He organised the owl to bring the reply back to the edge of the Forbidden Forest behind the groundskeeper's patch of pumpkins. He'd smiled to himself all that day, glad that he hadn't been caught but if he'd looked closely at the Transfiguration teacher at breakfast that morning he would have noticed a twinkle of recognition in Dumbledore's eyes.

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At the first dinner after coming back from Christimas holidays the students were surprised to learn that Headmaster Puckranter had retired and Professor Dumbledore had been elevated into headmaster status. A new teacher, Professor McGonagall, was welcomed and the students informed that she had taken over Transfiguration and was the new Head of Gryffindor house. She seemed rather sever with her hair all scraped back into a bun but had a charming smile when the occasion called for it. A murmur went around the hall when Dumbledore announced she'd once been a Magical Creatures Liaison. They couldn't imagine why it was that she would give up being that to teach a bunch of snot nosed kids. She spoke over 16 different languages including several mountain giant dialects and a fair deal of elvish. _Being a Magical Creature Liason must have been so exciting and she couldn't have been doing it for long, she only looked to be in her mid to late 20s_ Lily thought. The auburn haired girl thought she detected a hint of sadness in McGonagall's eyes when Dumbledore said the word giant and she sensed there was something more than just 'an opportunity to teach the further generations of witches and wizards' in her reason behind changing careers.

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'Check it out. Looks like Snape got a wicked old wizard's chess set for Christmas. You don't see 'em like that in the shops no more. Who made it Sev? Looks like an heirloom' Macnair was practically drooling on Snape's chess board and the pawns in a panic had turned their swords into umbrellas and were sheltering under them.

'My Grandma did.'

'Codswallop. She's a Muggle. They can't make wizard chess sets.'

'My Grandma is NOT a Muggle Goyle you big oaf. At least my real grandmother wasn't.'

The voice of Lucius Malfoy dripped from the shadows 'What are you talking about Snape? Paracita Glovenok is the biggest Muggle in Mugglesville.' As he spoke a strange smoke emitted from the fireplace in the common room.

'Paracita Glovenok isn't my real grandma you git.' Months of teasing from both Slytherins and Gryffindors had toughened his skin a bit and he felt more confident shouting down someone like Malfoy. 'She's my step-grandma. Dad's mum died after he was born and grandpa hired a Muggle nanny which was Paracita. My real grandmother's name was Miliana Joxer.'

'Miliana Joxer? THE Miliana Joxer? But she's a Slytherin legend. Took out a whole Mudblood village with the flick of her wand before she was captured and killed by the Aurors in 1929'. Piped up a third year that went by the name of Crabbe.

'That's right. The year Dad was born, he was only a few months old when she died.' It took a few minutes for this new information to sink in. Several of the Slytherins looked at Snape with a look of respect registering in their eyes.

'Wow, you really are a Slytherin Snape, through and through. Listen we're right sorry for all the hoo-har before. You know how it is..Mudbloods and all' Sniggflabbin stumbled through his apology. 'Er and your nose and..um, listen we're real sorry, k?'

Snape sighed with relief. He acknowledged Damien's grovelling with a flick of the wrist. It had worked, it had seemed so easy, they believed him and it was due in no small part to a certain article he'd purchased through the Knockturn Alley catalogue some weeks back. The confounding powder, when sprinkled liberally on a fire, worked by confusing the people's brains in the room to accept whatever the spell caster said to them. The confusing effect of the powder lasted for only two minutes but once they had been told these new 'facts' the memory of this truth was ingrained forever. Severus Snape had just participated in his very first act of dark magic and it made him shiver with delight.


	8. The Consoler

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**PATH to DARKNESS** by Tyde

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**_Chapter Eight – The Consoler_**

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In the flurry of the brown post owls descending upon tables that cool May morning Lily looked up to see a small white dove that was heading her way. It had a black envelope addressed in silver writing held in it's beak. A slight breeze from it's wings ruffled her hair as the dove landed on the table next to her toast and pushed the envelope into her hand. She took it curiously and wondered if her parents had lost the family owl and had resorted to whatever they could find in the back garden. The message was short and anything but sweet.

_Lily dear_

_There is no way nice way to say this – your father died this morning of a blood clot to the brain. It was very sudden and there was nothing anybody could do. I am looking after your mother and sister in this troubling time. Dumbledore will organise for you to return home so you may attend the funeral._

_With sympathy, your neighbour_

_Arabella Figg_

The dove flew to her shoulder and patted her with one of it's wings as if trying to console her. Lily dropped the letter from her hand as if it had burned her. She brushed aside the dove and looked at the rest of the Gryffindors. They were laughing and chatting, some opening packages of sweets from home and others blowing bubbles in their pumpkin juice. None of them had noticed she was swimming in grief. She found it hard to breathe and as the sobbing breaths filled her chest she got up from the table and ran out of the Great Hall.

James noticed her abrupt departure and not until his eyes rested on the dove and black letter did he understand. The dove fluttered up into the air and out the main door.

'Fellas – shut up! Lily got a Consoler!' he felt his stomach churn as he said the word.

They all turned their faces towards James in horror. A Consoler was the opposite of a Howler. Although you never wanted to receive a Howler because it would embarrass you, there was never a time in your life that you wished to receive a Consoler – it would break your heart. A Consoler was reserved purely for bad news, such as a death in the family. All the first year Gryffindors knew that Lily's dad hadn't been well and now due to the appearance of this Consoler their worst fears had been realised.

James strode purposefully out of the Great Hall to find where it was that she'd run to.

-----------------------

Blinded by tears Lily didn't see as she ran smack bang into a Slytherin that had been running late for breakfast. Looking up at his shocked face she threw herself into the arms of Severus Snape, all past discretions instantly flung aside.

'It's not fair, Sevi' she sobbed into his chest as he held her tight.

'Lil' he held her at arm's length 'What's not fair?'

Her nose dripped onto the sleeve of his robes but he barely noticed.

'D-d-dad..he's..I..' she trailed off unable to finish, but she didn't have to because Severus had already figured it out.

'Oh Lil, I'm so sorry' he pulled her back to him and stroked her hair soothingly. 'Is there anything I can do?' He felt her nuzzle deeper into his warmth.

She sniffled and wiped at her eyes with her sleeve. 'Yes, Merlin yes. Get me out of this place and away from that bloody bird!' The dove had just fluttered into the Entrance Hall and was again attempting to console her.

With an arm firmly around her shoulders and shooting a nasty look at the dove, he lead her out into the school grounds and towards the front gates. _Maybe something in Hogsmeade could cheer her up_ he thought.

James Potter stood at the great entrance door of Hogwarts and wrinkled his brow.

-----------------------

Lily Evans went home for a week to attend her father's funeral and to grieve with her mother and sister. Although her sister Petunia still considered her a 'freak' the girls put their differences aside in this time of grief.

-----------------------

Sev felt lonelier during that week than he had the entire time Lily was angry at him. He felt useless at Hogwarts and had almost asked Dumbledore if he could accompany Lily back to London. His new found respect in Slytherin did little to block the feeling that he should be miles and miles away from this place and doing something worthwhile, something helpful. He'd noticed James Potter had not picked on him all week and he wondered why. Was it because he was building up a particularly nasty and embarrassing trick? Or had Lily told James what a nice person Severus could be and how he should give him a chance. _No_ he said to himself, _Lily wouldn't talk about me to Gryffindors, she got so embarrassed when it came out into the open that we were friends_. 'Oh Lily, when are you coming back? I miss you' he said under his breath to the moon that shined in through the library window. 'I'm terribly sorry about your father, truly I am, but you've got me. Always'. He packed his parchment rolls up and returned to his chamber in the Slytherin dormitories. Quirrell was already asleep in bed, having a rather loud dream about rats and how they made great friends.

-----------------------

Lily returned to Hogwarts a quieter girl then when she had left. Instead of going to the library Lily insisted that Sev accompany her to the Astronomy tower. She would sit there for hours upon end just staring up at the stars and talking about the future.

'Do you think the stars can tell you about the future, Sevi?'

'Ah, I don't know. Don't really believe in all that divination stuff.'

'I think they can' she mused, as if she didn't really even hear him. 'I think they can tell you what you're going to be when you grow up and if you'll be happy. My dad didn't believe in the stars, do you think that's why he died?'

Sev looked up in shock 'Lil, it was a blood clot, you know that.'

'I know it was a blood clot Severus, but maybe the stars made him get it, maybe cause he didn't believe in the stars they punished him.'

'Lil, I don't think that's it at all.'

'Maybe cause he was a lawyer they didn't trust him so they thought that he just deserved to die.' She was starting to work herself into a frenzy. 'I'm not going to be a lawyer!' she shouted at the stars in front of her. 'Did you hear that? Not going to be a lawyer, I'm going to be an astronomer, or a lolly shop owner or a teacher or an Auror or something. I'm going to do something with my life that won't incur the wrath of the stars.' She started to shake in her effort to get the words out before the brimming tears would begin to flow. 'I'm gonna believe and I'm going to make a difference.' She collapsed into Sev's waiting arms.

'Lil, your father was a good man and he didn't do anything wrong. Things just happen sometimes.'

'What would you know? You never met him, how could you know him?'

'Because I've met you Lily Marie Evans, and that's all I need to know to see the type of man your father was. He was a good man with a kind heart and a beautiful smile.'

Lily snuggled back into the 12 year olds arms and she felt a small but significant release. There was a hole in her soul right now, but Severus Snape was proving to be a temporary patch for it.

-----------------------

**Author's note:** Chapter 9 is..um, well you see it's kinda..I don't know. I may have writer's block. Don't freak out, it shouldn't last long. I'm attempting to write a quidditch match and that's just giving me stress. Could be a week, sorry :o(


	9. Trust Me

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**PATH to DARKNESS** by Tyde

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**_Chapter Nine – Trust Me_**

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Snape's second year at Hogwarts appeared to him at first glance to be rather dull. After gaining the trust and admiration of the Slytherin house in first year he felt there was nowhere else for him to go there. Lucius Malfoy seemed to be the only one that on occasion would doubt Snape, only for the reason that he wasn't standing as close to the confounding potion on the fire as had everyone else. Every now and then he felt it necessary to trip Severus or sneer at him for no reason. Snape pretended to ignore him but he itched to order something else from that Knockturn Alley catalogue. Maybe a Puppet Potion that would render Malfoy helpless and controllable by Severus. There was actually a much less troublesome way to go about it and he discovered it in the second week of school.

-----------------------

'Snap..OUCH!' Quirrell blew on his hand as yet another snap card exploded under it. 'Are you sure you don't want to play a game of chess instead Severus? It's less b-b-burning on my fingers at least.'

'No Quirrell. This is far more entertaining' he smirked at the smoking fingers of his friend.

'You don't have to play games with that idiot to see him burn himself or worse' the voice of Lucius Malfoy came at them from across the room.

Although Snape liked to pick on Quirrell occasionally he was still his friend and he wasn't going to let Lucius insult him. 'What's your caper, Malfoy?'

'He's a disgrace to the name of Slytherin. Look at the stuttering little fool' Quirrell was indeed stuttering at this point, desperately trying to hex Malfoy but only coming up with nonsense words that shot sparks out of the wrong end of his wand and succeeded in burning his already red fingers.

'First you pick on me, now you pick on him? Why don't you try something shockingly new for you Lucius and try being nice for once, or at least vaguely friendly. A lot of us here don't like your constant attitude towards the people that are supposed to be your brothers, your school family. You're not winning any friends Malfoy.'

'Who said I want to be friends with you lot anyway?' He didn't notice a few sixth years coming up behind him with their wands poised ready to adjust his attitude for him.

'Because without supporters Malfoy, where are you going to get in the world? Your father is a big important man, am I right? And how do you think he got there? Not by belittling his friends or stooping to common insults of his Slytherin family. There is a reason that the Malfoys are one of the oldest and most powerful wizarding families in the world Lucius – I'd hate to see that stop just because Dicio Malfoy's son couldn't cut the mustard.'

Malfoy's face went a mottled shade of red. He couldn't decide whether to hex Snape or run away. His pride had been slashed apart in front of all his fellow Slytherins and Severus was right. He wasn't winning friends and his attitude was even starting to grate on his roommate Goyle who was as loyal as a puppy. Stupid as he was Goyle recognised that infighting within Slytherin wasn't a good idea and that Malfoy should shut his trap. Lucius looked at all the expectant faces peering at him. He emitted a sound that was a cross between a humph and a shriek and stormed off to his chambers. The common room erupted in applause and Severus Snape found once again that he'd gained respect from his fellow Slytherins. It was at this time that Macnair and Nott sat the new first years around the fireplace and told the story of Severus Snape's 'grandmother' Miliana Joxer. For the rest of the term Snape was showered with looks of awe whenever he caught the eye of a first year Slytherin.

-----------------------

Potions lessons seemed to go slower than usual that term. A handful of the potions they were concocting he'd learnt over the summer from his mother and he tried to stifle a yawn. Professor Pomfrey noticed this and called him up to her desk.

'Do I bore you Mister Snape?' her tone was gentle but enquiring.

'A little' he admitted.

'You don't think a healing potion for first degree burns is important to learn?' she looked puzzled at his reaction – he was after all her best student.

'Oh it is, it's just that my mother was an apothecary and I know quite a few healing potions and this one was the first she taught me.' He looked down at his feet a little embarrassed. 'I..um..kept falling into the cauldron when I was a little mite.'

The potions mistress smiled. 'Perhaps while the others study this you would like to go to the library and find a more advanced book to go through? Severus almost salivated at the thought.

'A more advanced book? Do you mean something from the restricted section?' He could hardly believe his ears, wait until Quirrell heard about this.

She looked at him curiously 'Yes, but it's hardly dangerous. Just too advanced for students but I think you can handle it. I can see the greatness of a Potions professor in you Severus.' She scribbled on a piece of parchment and told him to go straight to Madame Pince and she'd find the book for him.

He climbed the last steps up to the library and walked up to Madame Pince. She seemed to be up to her eyeballs in books. Some were winding around her ankles, others were trying to trim her hair while one entitled _The Life of the Dodo Bird _was perched atop her head as if roosting. He stifled a giggle and got her attention.

'Um..Madame Pince, I have a note here from Professor Pomfrey, she wants me to get a book from the restricted section.' He held the note out so she could see it.

'Right, could you be a dear and look for it yourself. I really am a little busy with all these new arrivals.' She grimaced as the book about the dodo deposited something on top of her head. 'That better be an egg!' she threatened.

Severus opened the gate to the restricted section and went straight to the section marked 'P'. His eyes scanned the titles for one that said _Moste Potente Potions_ by Penelope Pickleberry. He saw a plethora of exciting titles and was tempted to grab half of them and open them just to the contents page to see what they possessed but just as the thought occurred to him he saw the book he was sent to find. He wrenched open the cover and at once the book started shrieking at him like a banshee and lurching violently in his hands. Severus desperately tried to shut the book but it resisted and he looked around in a panic for something that would keep it shut. The shrieking was so bad he thought for sure that his ears were bleeding.

'Show it the note dear' the librarian yelled over the cacophony. Uncertain Severus held the note up to the book and at once it stopped the noise and settled down in his hands. 'It's a security measure dear, don't want just anybody grabbing those books do we. Mind you it only works on the book your teacher has approved that you be given. A little tiresome if you have a lot to check out but immediately effective.'

For the rest of Potions lesson Snape sat quietly with his nose in the book getting more and more intrigued by the various potions that it held. He would have to return to the library tonight. He'd seen too many exciting book titles to just leave it there.

-----------------------

His eyes stopped at _Perfectly Preposterous Potions_ by C. Putridious. The spine of the book glittered in the moonlight and he noticed it was bound in snake skin unlike the usual dragon hide or the remarkably stretchy bark of the scribbly gum. His fingers inched forward to grab the book when he remembered the Silencing Charm Lily had shown him in first year. With a flick of his wand the book was rendered mute and he had it opened on the table. A quick poke of the full stop after the title on the front page rendered it still. _That Madam Pince proved to be quite helpful and chatty _he mused_._ The contents page was filled with such delicious spells that he didn't know where to start. Severus heard a noise coming from the hallway and panicked. Muttering a shrinking spell at the bookcase he watched it shrink slightly to cover up the fact that a book had been taken from it. No tell tale gaps appeared now, it was as if nothing had been taken. Snape secreted the book under his robes and raced out a back exit to the library. His breath came in ragged gasps as he leaned heavily on the door to shut it. He realised he'd just stolen a book from the library and that someone was moving around just inside of the door ready to come out and catch him, landing him no doubt with a detention for his efforts. Scurrying away from the door he headed through the darkened hallways on the way to a staircase. Looking behind him fearfully to make sure no one was following him he walked straight into something with a pronounced OOF! Turning around in shock expecting to see Filch or even worse Dumbledore he was shocked to see that there was nothing there. He heard some rustling and what sounded like something groaning slightly under their breath. Spinning around quickly he scanned the corridor but could see nothing. Severus tentatively took a step forward and was relieved to find nothing blocking his way.

'Just going mad' he said under his breath and strode out towards the staircase that would lead to the dungeon.

Huddled underneath James Potter's invisibility cloak a relieved Black, Lupin, Potter and Pettigrew let out a sigh of relief. 'That's just what we needed, to have ickle Severarse spoiling our plans' Sirius breathed.

-----------------------

Sliding through the stone door into the Slytherin common room Severus was surprised to find Lucius Malfoy sitting in front of the fire absentmindedly throwing owl feathers into the flame. Malfoy jumped, as did Snape, when they both realised each other was in the room. A loud thud was heard as the book Severus had taken from the library slipped out of his robes and landed on his foot.

'BLOODY HELL!' he mouthed in pain while his eyes rolled up into his head.

Malfoy picked up the book and helped him to a chair. He looked at the title with a curious look on his face. 'Where did you get this book from Severus?'

'Restricted section from the library. Thought it might be a great read.'

'You STOLE this from the library?' Malfoy's eyes widened as did his smile.

'Keep your voice down!' Snape hissed. 'Yes I did. What's it to you?'

'Wow. You're pretty cool you know that? Back when I thought you were a Mudblood I could never have imagined you'd do something like this. You surprise me' His eyes glittered with anticipation. The amount of damage they could do with that book.

'Trust me Malfoy, I've got a lot more in store.'

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**Author's note:** I panicked last week. I gave myself writer's block after Chapter 8. I thought I'd do a chapter on Quidditch and then look what happened! Granted, it isn't very original...but I try. I'm trying to get Snape to be friendlier with Quirrell and maybe they can have some funny dialogue exchanges but he's not letting me. I feel like a big cat with a little mouse called Quirrell and I just want to keep batting him around for a while. Oh and I decided that Madam Pomfrey was a Professor. I went back and changed it in subsequent chapters. In my world she was called Professor when she was teaching and then became the infirmary lady and relinquished her title cause she was no longer a teacher. That is all.


	10. Something's Brewing

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**PATH to DARKNESS** by Tyde

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**_Chapter Ten – Something's Brewing_**

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After his initial misgivings of Malfoy, Severus found that although they didn't have a lot in common he sure knew how to have a good time. Of course Snape knew that his recent acquisition of a restricted section book containing interesting potions would no doubt have something to do with Malfoy's friendliness.

'What about this one?' Lucius suggested pointing at a potion in the middle of the book. 'If we drop a couple of drops in his pumpkin juice he won't even notice it until it's too late. Says here it's tasteless.'

'I really don't think ridding the headmaster of his eyes is a good way to start the year off Malfoy. How about this one?' He jabbed the page at one entitled _Rana Dynastes_ Solution. 'That one might be fun'

Lucius peered at the entry and read aloud 'Once the victim has drunk the potion he will turn into a frog. A frog? That's it?' The pale haired boy looked at Snape in disbelief. 'You stole this book from the library so you could turn people into frogs? There are other potions that do that and it doesn't involve sneaking out at midnight to gather moonsilk root from the Forbidden Forest. Look at these ingredients!' He had a look upon his face like he'd just eaten something 2 weeks past the used by date.

'If you looked carefully at the small print you git' Snape snapped 'You'll see why I think it's rather good.'

'Cannot be turned back from a frog unless kissed by a legitimate princess. On the mouth. With tongue. And must be prettier than Esmerelda Glockenspeil.' Lucius looked up at Severus with an eyebrow raised and a devilish grin on his face. 'I see your point.'

'Who do you think deserves it? Who can we transform?' Severus knew he could get the ingredients he just didn't know who deserved a life as an amphibian.

'Seventh year Hufflepuff – Amos Diggory. Struts around like he owns the place. He's turning the heads of Slytherin girls and that is not on. What say we slip some into a toffee and leave it in his bag? Silly git will just eat it up.'

'Brilliant idea old man.' The ingredients would take a little while to prepare and in the meantime there were more potions they were itching to try.

-----------------------

'What's going on here?' Professor McGonagall positively roared at two fifth year Gryffindors who were in the middle of the Great Hall minus their arms and legs. Snape and Malfoy were listening from the other side of the great door and tried to hide their giggles behind their hands. 'This is perfectly preposterous! You've splinched yourselves. Why would you go and try Apparating when you haven't even studied for the test yet? Sometimes I really don't know what goes on in the minds of students nowadays. Miss Grackle and Mister Otteral follow me' She waved her wand at their grimacing torsos and they floated in the air behind her as she headed to Professor Dumbledore's office.

'Muggle sweets' she muttered as she stood in front of the statue with Grackle and Otteral bumping into each other behind her. Within moments she stood in front of Dumbledore's desk with the two limbless students resting on a couch in the corner.

'Really Albus it's quite preposterous! Do the students of today have no sense left in them?'

'We've still got our ears you know Professor' grumbled Otteral.

'Yeah and as we said before, we didn't try to Apparate – our arms and legs just disappeared!' Grackle was almost on the verge of tears.

Dumbledore put up a hand to silence them all. 'Minerva I fear they are telling the truth. It is impossible to Apparate within the grounds of Hogwarts, as a top student at Hogwarts yourself at one time I thought you would have remembered that.' McGonagall coloured slightly at this reminder.

'Then what could have happened Albus? Limbs don't just disappear on their own accord!' Her lips pushed themselves together in a show of annoyance.

'They are easily returned Minerva if you keep your wits about you. _Accio_ arms! _Accio_ legs!' Dumbledore pointed his wand towards the door. Within a few minutes the missing limbs of the Gryffindor students were 'standing' in front of Dumbledore's desk. Tapping his wand on the desk in an intricate pattern of sounds he waited. The feet and fingers of the limbs tapped back on the desk in a different series of taps that seemed to carry a certain anxiety to them.

'It appears that Miss Grackle and Mister Otteral here have been the victims of a particularly nasty potion called _Membratum_ which as you can see detaches your body from the rest of you.' With a flick of his wrist the missing limbs had reattached themselves and the students looked very relieved. 'Return to your dormitories please'.

After they had traipsed out the door Dumbledore fixed his gaze on McGonagall. 'I did not want to alarm the children Minerva but this is gravely serious. A student in this school is brewing potions that could have disastrous effects. I cannot think how it is that they obtained the volumes they are learning from but if it is the book I suspect, whose name escapes me at present, there are far worse potions than disappearing limbs.' His blue eyes clouded over and he turned around in his chair to face his bookcase. Realising this was the end of the meeting the head of Gryffindor house sidled out of the headmaster's office with a puzzled look on her face. Why would a student want to use such potions? And how had they gotten a hold of such a book?

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For the next few weeks several students lose their limbs and an unusual number of thunderstorm clouds that rained Bludgers instead of water were reported. Malfoy and Snape thoroughly enjoyed the terms leading up until Christmas. Quirrell had not been told of the book, he would have blabbed, and he felt a little lonely without the companionship of his friend Severus. He was particularly discouraged when Snape told him in no uncertain words to 'Piss off!' one evening when he and Malfoy were huddled over something that looked like a crystal ball in the common room one evening. He thought he caught the words 'toffee', 'princess' and 'frog' but decided to go off and study by himself. Heading toward the library he saw Amos Diggory up ahead of him. Diggory had the strap of his bag slung over one shoulder and heavily loaded down with books it was threatening to spill all over the floor.

'Hey Amos!' Quirrell squeaked while running towards him. 'Your bag looks like it's just about to...' he stopped in his tracks as the older boy's bag strap broke and scattered the contents all over the stone floor. 'break?' he continued quietly.

'Blast it!' Amos muttered looking over at Quirrell. 'Well don't just stand there, help me!' He started gathering some papers together and Quirrell fell to his knees to help.

'Hey, what's this?' Quirrell held up a single wrapped toffee with the word Princess emblazoned across it.

'What does it look like you git? It's a toffee and it's moments like these when you really need one.' He unwrapped the sweet and went to put it in his mouth when the Slytherin jumped suddenly.

'Don't eat it!' Quirrell squealed, not knowing why.

The toffee had just touched Amos's tongue when he instinctively spat it out again. 'What the hell? What's your problem Slytherin?' Amos's question was answered when suddenly his skin turned green and he croaked out the last word. 'What is going on...ribbit'

Quirrell looked on horrified. He'd had a weird feeling that Amos shouldn't eat the sweet, something to do with toffee and princess had triggered something in his memory. _Of course! Malfoy and Snape had been whispering about that and frogs all day_. _Oh dear_, he realised, _they bewitched the toffee and they are in the corner of the Slytherin house common room watching us at this very moment._

'Where are you...ribbit...going?' Diggory to his horror started hopping down the corridor and right into the path of Professor Dumbledore. 'Profess-ribbit. Professor, help!' A look of concerned washed over Dumbledore's face and then he knew the name of the book that had been taken. Without another look at the hapless Hufflepuff he muttered a binding spell and then '_Accio_ Perfectly Preposterous Potions!' In just a few moments the potions book and two rather terrified Slytherin students came flying into view. Snape and Malfoy landed hard on the stone and looked up at Dumbledore with sheepish looks on their faces.

-----------------------

'It is not in my nature to yell at students but it is within my nature to punish them. Not only did you endanger the life of countless students of this school you greatly reduced my opinion of you both. You, Severus I expected far more of. Sneaking potion books from the library? And you Lucius, suggesting that you use it on your fellow students is abominable! Not only will 300 points **each** be taken from Slytherin but you are suspended for a week, effective tomorrow. You will not return home to your parents but you will be forced to spend every waking hour with me. And let me assure you, that is the worst punishment I could ever dole out!' A slight smile appeared on the corner of Albus Dumbledore's mouth but he did not extend it. He knew it was only a matter of time before these two became friendly and got up to mischief but he thought it more to be of the calibre of Potter and Black with their silly pranks...not pulling students apart – literally! A knock at the door shook him from his thoughts and he looked hard at the two young boys.

'Return to your dormitories and I will collect you in the morning.' He fixed them with a steely glare. 'Come in' he called out to the door knocker.

The most beautiful woman Snape and Malfoy had ever seen sashayed into the office. She was dressed in a pale green dress with a white gold delicately designed crown perched atop her auburn curls.

'Albie, a pleasure to see you as always. Where is the poor boy?' She spoke as if this happened regularly. A ribbiting Amos Diggory hopped out from behind a door and towards the princess. She smiled at the half man half frog and before he had the chance to say anything had him in a passionate embrace. Severus and Lucius's eyes opened wide. _Well that potion sure backfired_ Snape thought to himself.

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Snape and Lucius weren't very popular with the rest of Slytherin house as you can imagine. Not only had the deduction of points put them in the negative numbers but it elevated Hufflepuff to first in the running for the house cup and that made Amos Diggory even more unbearable than before if that was possible. Add that to the fact that he kept thanking them profusely for sending Princess Cinnia his way with a suggestive wiggle of the eyebrows.

Their week spent under the crooked nose of Albus Dumbledore opened their eyes to parts of Hogwarts they had never seen before. It began to seem less like punishment and more like a lesson in magical life. Snape discovered the inner workings of Hogwarts (made friends with a few house elves who promised to bring him mooncakes when they had them to spare) and began to gain respect for his teachers. Malfoy didn't seem as enthused by all the goings on and tended to sulk in a corner and only open his mouth when he was spoken to.

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Snape sat in the Owlery by himself trying to write an owl to his grandmother. The last week of Howlers from his parents had forced the young boy to write to his grandmother in the hope that she could talk them out of the constant barrage. He couldn't stand the sound of laughter of a thousand Hogwarts students every morning anymore. Deep in thought with an eagle feather quill clutched in his hand he didn't notice the large tawny frog mouth owl land at his feet. It squawked loudly at him and he looked up quickly. It's grey mottled appearance intrigued him. He'd never seen an owl like that before. He picked up the piece of black parchment it had dropped and untied it. Writing glittered up at him in a dark green liquid that seemed to shimmer at every angle.

_I watch. I listen. I know._

Severus turned over the parchment but could find no more writing.

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**Author's note:** This chapter was painful to write simply because it felt forced. Any thoughts? I've already written chapter 12 so trying to fill in the blanks is a little difficult. There is Quidditch to come though. Hopefully you will enjoy.


	11. Brooms and Black Parchment

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**PATH to DARKNESS** by Tyde

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**_Chapter Eleven – Brooms and Black Parchment_**

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After the confounding powder incident in first year Severus found it a lot easier being a Slytherin. By his fifth year it became tradition for the prefect of the time to inform all new Slytherin students that they were required to be anointed by Severus Snape, the grandson of Miliana Joxer, to seal their fate of being a Slytherin forever. Snape thought this a little over the top but all of the students seemed to revere him as if he had a Merlin-like quality so he just shrugged it off. Sure he began to feel a little guilty about the swiftie he had pulled those years ago but he decided that it was better than having to be on his toes all the time in the house of students that were supposed to be his friends.

He hadn't forgotten about his vow to catch out the Gryffinflaws. In fact every weekend he'd sneak around after them but they always seemed to know the right corner or right tree to disappear behind so he always ended up empty handed. Quirrell begged him to give up and to concentrate more on his Quidditch training as the first game was coming up in just a few weeks.

At the end of Severus's fourth year one of the beaters for Slytherin team, Mevlin Pucey held tryouts for his position on the team for the following year. He said after years of getting hit by bludgers that it would be best to spend his last year at Hogwarts with all bones in tact and what little sense hadn't yet been knocked out of him, in his head where it belonged. Snape had always fancied himself as a Chaser but to his surprise was considered the best of the lot to tryout and was established on the Slytherin Quidditch team for when he started fifth year. He didn't really expect to get the position of Beater. All those times he practised goal shooting with his father seemed a waste of time after he was given the position of Beater. But to his delight he discovered all the years of slamming home a goal had readied his arm to be a powerhouse with a bat. In fun games they had held on the weekends he'd always played Chaser on the other team and tried to accidentally injure the Chaser trio of Ogilvy, Kalied and Mather that had been firmly ensconced on the Slytherin Quidditch team since their second year. This of course never worked and he was usually left with nothing but bruises for his efforts.

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Slytherin hadn't won a Quidditch cup or the House cup in over 10 years and Severus was determined that this year they would crack the big one and win both. However he seemed to be having better luck with points deducted than having them added as his misadventures after the Gryffinflaws landed him in trouble (and indeed detention) time and time again. Since their potions extravaganza in second year Snape had spent less time with Lucius Malfoy and more time convincing Dumbledore that he was worth the time and effort to remain at Hogwarts. This of course didn't stop him from getting into the odd patch of trouble here and there and if he had to weed the groundskeeper's pumpkin patch one more time the Muggle way he thought he would scream. 

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All practices for Quidditch had been called off that afternoon as the stadium was being prepared for Puddlemere United's exhibition of Quidditch moves. Lately games between all the houses seemed to be turning into more of a pub brawl and Dumbledore called upon his favourite team to remind the students what the game was all about. There was a great buzz through the students all day, especially a fourth year Hufflepuff named Bagman who made sure that everyone was aware that the coach for Puddlemere had expressed interest in his playing. Quirrell had told Snape that it was actually the coach of the Chudley Cannons who, although had a history of winning finals, hadn't actually won one since 1892. They won a game here or there but it was general consensus that they were the worst team in the league.

The weather proved to be very cooperative that evening and the headmaster decreed that they would all be having a picnic out on the school grounds instead of dinner in the Great Hall. Fairy lights (with actual fairies of course) adored the bushes and trees of Hogwarts grounds and striped picnic blankets of house colours covered most of the grass. Snape settled down on a blanket with Quirrell, Malfoy and Goyle and they started hoeing into the drumsticks. Not far off from their spot sat four Gryffindors of whom Severus was only too familiar. Their conversation drifted his way and he scowled in their general direction. They looked awfully proud of themselves as if they'd just invented the wand or something. 

'You're really **wolf**ing that down Remus' Peter sputtered while trying to swallow a mouthful of moon cider.

'Most certainly Peter. This is quite a delicious **rat**atooie' He grinned at the short podgy boy.

Sirius looked over at the two of them with a chuckle and then turned to Potter. 'Be a **deer** James and pass the pumpkin juice would you?' Sirius almost snorted mashed potato out of his nose.

'Oh Sirius you old **dog**, of course I will!' More giggling issued from the foursome.

Snape narrowed his eyes at the little laughing group. There seemed to be some incredibly funny joke that they were letting no one in on. He noticed Dumbledore approach them and he licked his lips in anticipation but all Dumbledore said was 'Good to see you're feeling better Remus' with a twinkle in his eye before going to the aide of a hapless Professor Flitwick who was being dive bombed by owls looking for a tasty treat.

'Oh I say, that it quite ridiculous! I'm a Hogwarts Professor – NOT a rabbit! Get away!'

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'Good evening everyone. It is with immense pleasure that I welcome to the Hogwarts stadium the players from Puddlemere United.' Dumbledore's voice reverberated off the goal posts and seating. 'After rather a lot of scrappy playing from all our students I thought it best to learn from the best. Please welcome Pud United's Chasers – Pilkington, Johnson and Bones!' Three flashes of navy blue zoomed out onto the pitch and starting circling around. 'They will now demonstrate to you the Wollongong***** Shimmy.'

Pilkington and Johnson acted as opposing team members while Bones zig-zaged up and down the length of the stadium with the quaffle firmly under his arm. After a few minutes or so it was easy to see that Pilkington and Johnson were getting dizzy from their team mate's diversionary tactics and they started to sway on their brooms. Bones took the opportunity to shoot the quaffle straight through the goal post with no one hindering him. The school erupted into cheers and waited in anticipation for the next move. Dumbledore announced the Seeker and as she came out into the light everyone gasped at her size. She was about the same size as Profesor Flitwick and darting back and forth so fast on her broom that she was just a blur.

'That ought to help her be the first to get to the snitch. No wonder Pud win so often' Quirrell whispered in Snape's ear in awe.

Johnson threw the snitch into the air and McDai whizzed after it. The crowd soon lost sight of it and they instead locked their eyes on the Seeker who was feverishly scanning the grounds. Suddenly she dropped into a dead-on dive that was heading her straight for the pitch. Closer and closer she came to the grass and over in the Gryffindor stands Pettigrew covered his eyes with his hands. 'She's going to crash, I just know it' he whimpered. And indeed it did appear that way. A split second before the Puddlemere United Seeker would have been a puddle on the ground she pulled out of the dive and soared up high again. A collective gasp issued from the crowd and with applause ringing in her ears she waved at the Hogwarts students.

'That breathtaking move was none other than the Wronksi Feint, a Seeker move designed to make the opposing team's Seeker crash into the ground. Named after Josef Wronski who first exhibited the move in the World Cup match of 1857, in effect winning Poland their first World Cup title and knocking the English Seeker out for a good two weeks.' There was scattered laughter in the crowd.

For the next two hours the Puddlemere United team were put through their paces showing moves like the Dopplebeater Defence, the Double Eight Loop and the Transylvanian Tackle just to name a few. Madam Hooch noticed the Quidditch captains of each house team had a quill and parchment resting on their knees as they hurried to write down notes. _Maybe I'll see more Porskoff Ploys and less Quaffle-pocking fouls _she mused.

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Severus's arm ached beyond anything he'd felt before. He'd been hitting Bludger's here, there and everywhere for the last two hours and still Slytherin's Seeker was no closer to locating the Snitch. As yet another Bludger flew in the direction of Ogilvy he directed his broom so he could once again save the pretty face of the Chaser. She winked at him in thanks and he felt a slight wave of happiness but nothing compared to the way he felt when Lily did the same thing. All they had in common now was Potions and Transfiguration classes. They'd taken different electives and saw each other less and less. A wink from her was a rare occasion and it was something that would fill his soul with a feeling of elation. All third year she'd avoided him. His pranks with the potions book had scared her a little and she decided if she wanted to stay in one piece it was best to avoid him. During fourth year she'd relaxed a little and every few weeks or so they'd meet up in the library for a little study session. He amazed her with the amount that he'd learned since their last meetings and she began to think maybe he knew more potions than even Professor Pomfrey did. The Snitch winging by his eyeline caught his attention and he hissed in Janvier's direction. 'Looking for something?' he mouthed while nodding in the direction of the glittering ball. Janvier's eyes lit up and she sped forth snatching the Snitch out of the air before the Ravenclaw Seeker even had a look in.

'As Janvier catches the Snitch it looks like Slytherin is off to a good start for the season by winning this game' An energetic Madam Ixilee announced. 'Don't worry Ravenclaw, you'll get them next time!'

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_Have you forgotten?_

The note had just appeared one day in late April on his bed. He didn't know how it had gotten there and Quirrell's face held a bewildered look when Snape questioned him about it. It looked to be the same writing as the one he'd received at the end of first term in second year. He'd kept that one at the bottom of his drawer and he dug it out now to compare the writing. Identical, and after two years the green ink still shimmered up at him. He turned the new note over and discovered more words.

_Don't lose it._

'Lose what?' he asked out aloud. 'The note? What have I forgotten?' Now that he had two notes they puzzled him all the more. Someone was watching him, knew him and they'd seen him forget something. But what on earth had he forgotten? He couldn't very well try to not lose it if he'd already forgotten it now could he? Shaking his head he stuck the notes under some spare robes in his drawer and climbed up the ladder to the common room. It was bustling with energy and sweets from Hogsmeade. Slytherin was celebrating and as they saw Severus emerge from the depths they pulled him in to the melee with a loud cheer.

'Three cheers for Snape, the Beater who downed Potter'. He found a Butterbeer bottle being pressed into his hands and slaps on his back. 'You broke the decade drought and Gryffindor are eating humble pie. Thought that ickle Potter could win them the final match? Not with concussion he can't!' Malfoy cheered as he congratulated his friend on helping Slytherin finally win the Quidditch Cup. In a daze Snape gulped down some Butterbeer with a victorious smile plastered on his face. He didn't notice the corner of black parchment sticking out of Lucius Malfoy's robes.

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**Author's note:** *****I don't know why but in the Quidditch Through the Ages book that was released they spelt Wollongong wrong. In the book it has two o's at the beginning where there should only be one. I tried to write a whole Quidditch game, truly I did, it just sucked, so I hope this is okay.

**Carasiel – **Don't we all love the dark, death-eater Snape the best though? With those dark brooding looks and those sexy eyes and then the nakedness...losing myself for a minute there. He slowly darkens, see-saws a little even...but he's still in love with Lily. What a conundrum!

**CrinkleCutRuffles** – None of your business! Hehehe, just kidding. No it's not going to turn into slash although Snape and Malfoy would be an interesting combination with their contrasting appearances. And Lily is spending more time with her fellow Gryffindor's like she should do. I almost keep forgetting that Slytherin and Gryffindor are mortal enemies. Besides this potion book debacle got her pretty upset of course. It's gonna be a lot of see-sawing back and forth between friendship and fighting. Kinda like an episode of some TV show where there is sexual tension between the two main characters and once they get together it all goes downhill so the writers hold off for as long as possible. It might happen...it might not. *insert evil cackle here*


	12. Trees a Crowd

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**PATH to DARKNESS** by Tyde

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**_Chapter Twelve – Trees A Crowd_**

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The giant squid swam lazily across the lake as Sev and Lil watched. They'd snuck out early to catch the sunrise and chat about the Potions final that day.

He wasn't quite sure how it happened, or how to explain it but suddenly Severus was leaning in to kiss her lips and she jerked back before he could even touch them. 'What the hell are you doing Severus Snape?'

_Ouch, full name, guess I read the signals wrong._ 'I-I-I just thought that, well, we were having a moment you know? You winked at me and I thought..'

'I had something in my eye Severus' Lily now stood with her hands on her hips and was staring him down. 'Why the hell were you going to kiss me?' Her embarrassment and anger were bubbling over and she had no idea what it was doing to the feelings of the poor boy.

'Cause..well cause I like you and I thought you liked me..and people kiss when they have feelings and I just..' He hung his head and mumbled into his chest 'Just forget it.'

Lily softened visibly and her heart reached out to him. 'Oh Sevi, I'm so sorry. I just..I don't feel about you that way. You're a great friend, we've been great friends, I just couldn't see it developing further. I'm really sorry.' She reached out to pat his shoulder but he brushed her hand aside.

'I have to go now' he said, devoid of emotion.

'Sevi wait, listen..I' she grabbed his arm and her touch burned him.

'Lil I just want to be alone okay, nothing you can say will make me feel like I haven't just made a giant dunderhead out of myself. Just let me go please.' Without another word he stalked back to the castle.

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He didn't talk to her all week. She tried to catch his eye in Potions but he just stared straight ahead and wrote down ingredients mechanically. His heart ached too much and he couldn't even bear to look at her. Over the next month his pain grew to mild hate and he glared at her in the hallways. She noticed this and whenever she tried to talk to him he shot her down with a mutter of 'bloody Gryffinflaw' before stalking off in the direction of the Slytherin common room. He had noticed her getting closer and close to James Potter and after a while he redirected his hatred towards the happy go lucky boy. His mission of catching the Gryffinflaws had been put aside for most of the year as he concentrated on studies. Also the Gryffinflaws had for the most part stayed away from Snape and hadn't teased him in at least 3 weeks. He was beginning to think there was something wrong with them all.

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'I can't understand it Lil. Why would you hang around with that greasy haired Slytherin anyway? Were the two of you friends or something?' Sirius Black's voice contained disbelief. James Potter nodded his head vigorously at his friends comment and added 'Yeah Lil, why?'

Around the corner a bewildered Snape leaned his ear closer so he could catch her comment. 

'Puhlease' she said exasperated. 'Me and a slimey Slytherin, friends? You've got to be joking Sirius. I only hung out with him because he's really good at Potions. You've got to use what you can to get what you want, you know what I'm saying?' Her smile hid the pain of Severus not talking to her. If he was going to ignore her then she'd bloody well ignore him as well.

Sirius's laugh echoed down the hall and Snape could hear James and Remus joining in. 'Well it worked Lil, that's for sure. You've giving him a run for his money in the Potions final I heard.' 

He peeked his head around the corner to see a scruffy looking Remus putting a protective arm around Lily and grinning like a mangy dog that had just stolen sausages from the local butcher and gotten away with it. He saw James was pointing his wand at Lily and saying something he couldn't hear. Lily looked at James for a few seconds before breaking into a smile and a hint of blush showed on her cheeks. Snape burst out from the adjacent corridor and stormed past their little group glaring at Lupin's arm still around Lily's shoulders and Potter whose wand was now back in his pocket. Sev felt like he'd just taken a dosage of pepperup potion, he was certain that steam was coming out of his ears. He mumbled under his breath 'I'll get you Potter and your little dog Lupin too.'

Something registered on Lily's face and she seemed to be in some sort of inner turmoil but the Slytherin didn't even notice. Her mind traced it's way back to that morning when Severus had tried to kiss her and how she had reacted. She'd been so horrible to him at first, no wonder he wasn't talking to her.

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 'He was confunding her Quirrell! Right there in front of other law abiding Gryffindors. Him and that bloody Black were casting some illegal spell on her to besmirch me! Not to mention Lupin slobbering all over her. How dare they? My Lily would never go against me like that.' His clenched fists were by now a regular occurrence and he paced up and down their sleeping chamber.

Quirrell could see the thunder in his friend's eyes but some perverse part of him told him to speak up 'Severus, she's..ah, well she's not yours. Not your Lily, she's a Gryffindor..th-th-they don't mix well with Slytherins. It's been like that since forever.'

'Since when did you get an opinion you quivering little smeghead?' Snape snapped at his loyal friend. 'You wouldn't know the first thing about what Lily and I have. Why don't you just bugger off before I curse you from here to Brazil!' He realised that he was being irrational and mean but he was beyond caring at that moment. He didn't need to tell him twice and Slatero scrambled up the ladder as fast as his legs could carry him.

The urge to catch out the Gryffinflaws and have them expelled had never burned so deeply within him before and his stomach fluttered with excitement. Glancing out the tiny porthole window that graced one of their walls he saw the sun was just setting. They always snuck around at night time he knew because he'd heard them bragging about it many a time at breakfast. This time he'd catch them doing something really bad and certainly they'd be expelled or at least suspended. Lost in his thoughts he almost didn't notice a ragged looking Lupin racing across the school grounds towards the Whomping Willow.

'Whatever can he be doing?' he pondered out aloud. He made up his mind then and there to find out. Racing out of the Slytherin common room he ran straight into the face of Sirius Black.

'Watch where you are going!' he growled.

'I could say the same thing about you. What the hell are you doing down here near my common room.'

'I was actually coming to find you Severus' It was the first time Black had called him by his first name and not said Severarse. He actually seemed rather nice. Instantly Snape was suspicious. 'Why?' he said narrowing his eyes

'Did you see Lupin sleazing onto Lily this afternoon?' Snape nodded wondering where this was leading. 'Well he's got designs on her and he's been enchanting her with a love potion.'

'WHAT?'

'Yeah. And after dinner tonight he lead her away somewhere out of grounds and we can't find her anywhere. He seemed a little crazed today, not quite right in the head or something. I'm worried Snape, have you seen Lupin at all?' Sirius had a look of great concern on his face and Snape felt his heart drop to his stomach. Lupin had Lily somewhere and he was probably planning something evil.

'As a matter of fact I did, he was running across the grounds towards the Whomping Willow and then he just disappeared. He looked rather pleased with himself too.'

'Oh Merlin! There is a passageway under the Whomping Willow that leads into Hogsmeade, he must have her stashed away there. Listen Snape you wait in the Entrance Hall and I'll go and grab James's invisibility cloak so we can sneak up to the tree without it seeing us. Lupin must know a spell that stops it pounding you, I've heard there is a knot in trees like those that if you push it, it will stop beating about but I'm not too sure. Okay, so I'll see you in the Entrance Hall, right?' Sirius looked genuinely concerned and Snape believed him.

'Right' said Snape with no intention at all of waiting for Black. He'd had his suspicions about Lupin, always disappearing at night through out the year, he was up to something bad that was for sure and this time Lily was in danger!

Sirius Black ran down the corridor towards the stairs leading up to the main hall with a grin from ear to ear. The trap was set. _That'll teach him _he thought. _Gryffindors and Slytherin aren't supposed to mix_. _What a fright he'll get._

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James sighed. He'd been trying at this homework assignment for the past hour and it wasn't getting him anywhere. He knew Sirius was good at Arithmacy so he pulled out the Marauder's Map to find his friend. He noticed that Black was coming up from the dungeons. He frowned. _What a weird place to be_. He then noticed not far from the Sirius Black dot was a dot that was scurrying across the grounds towards the Whomping Willow. The dot was labelled Severus Snape. James saw that a Remus Lupin dot was not off the map as it should be but hovering in the tunnel that lead to the Shrieking Shack. Severus Snape was just metres away from certain death. An invisibility cloak covered Prongs burst through the portrait hole and galloped through Hogwarts hallways as fast as his hooves could carry him. He streaked out towards the vicious tree just as the dot on the map indicated Snape was at the Whomping Willow and poking at knots in the tree with a long stick. As the branches stopped James saw Snape step into the hole at the base of the trunk. This could be bad.

Morphing back into himself and throwing the cloak to the wayside James leap into the passageway and grabbed Snape by the back of the robes pulling him through the hole and back onto solid Hogwarts ground. As the hole was closing up Snape saw to his horror a werewolf's eyes glittering with the light of the moon and a foaming mouth dripping with anticipation. A Gryffindor tie was hanging around his neck. James quickly pummelled the knot in the tree just as the Whomping Willow was about to start up again. He hoisted a shocked Snape onto his shoulders and dragging the invisibility cloak behind him he headed up towards the main entrance door. After a little while Severus suddenly regained control of his mouth and he started pounding James on the back with his fists.

'Put me DOWN!' he screamed. 'NOW!'

James put the squirming teenager down and looked at him with disbelief. 'I just saved your life. I don't expect roses and chocolates but a thank you would be nice.'

'Saved my life? Thanks? Are you joking? You probably set the whole thing up, you, Black and Lupin.' Snape spat.

'You leave Lupin out of this, he couldn't help being a part of it. What possessed you to go down into the passageway anyway? Dumbledore planted that tree for a reason.'

'And a bloody good reason I see now as it's filled with werewolf students! I knew there was something I never trusted about him. Sneaky little mudblood.'

James's eyes grew wide at this. 'Don't you use that word in front of me. He can't help being bitten by a werewolf. I would have thought you of all people would never stoop so low as to use that word, after all your precious friend Lily is one.'

'Lily!' Snape suddenly remembered what Black had told him. 'She's..Lupin..' it started to dawn on him. 'She's probably safely tucked up in bed...am I right? That smegging bastard.'

'What are you muttering about Snape?'

'Black..he said that Lupin had taken Lily and no one could find her. He told me to meet him at the Entrance Hall and he'd get your invisibility cloak and we could sneak under the tree. The bastard set me up to get killed!' He was livid now. 'That little git Pettigrew was probably in on it too. You Gryffinflaws have tortured me the entire time we've been at Hogwarts. Were you getting sick of it, huh? Did you just want something to tie up the loose ends? How could I have been sorted into Slytherin when you are clearly a dark wizard James Potter.' A hand rested on his shoulder and Snape spun around with wand pulled ready to curse a gloating Sirius Black but instead found himself face to face with a grave looking Dumbledore.

'James, Severus I think it's time we have a little talk in my office. Follow me. Sirius is already there waiting.'

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Snape was beside himself that Dumbledore had believed James's version of things. Snape was adamant that James had known, how else would he have been able to turn up when he did if he wasn't wondering around the school getting up to mischief. Black had been suspended for a month and Snape felt a lot safer knowing that he wasn't around. Lupin was given no punishment as he had nothing to do with it and Snape ached to tell the whole school what Remus was but Dumbledore had sworn him to secrecy and warned that should he tell anybody – even an owl – that he would be expelled and never allowed admission into any wizardry school in the world.

All Lily heard was that James had saved Severus's life and was pleased that at least her Gryffindor friends could become friends with her Slytherin friend. However this wasn't to happen as Snape seemed to hate James and the others even more. She couldn't figure him out and resigned to put him in her past and remember the good times for what they were. Snape of course refused her conclusion to things and would send her morning owls for the rest of the year and pine for her across the Great Hall. She would send back firm 'no' answers to his enquiries about studying in the library and reiterated that she thought it was best that they simply remember the happy times and move on. Severus just promised himself that he wouldn't let Lily Evans slip through his clutches. What he didn't realise that James and Lily being prefects that year had forced them to spend a lot more time together and the spark of something was struck. Severus's hopes of getting through that bond would be fruitless. Snape was also destined to have a very interesting summer, not one that would wipe Lily from his memory completely but one that would put her on the back burner...for a while at least.

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**Author's note:** Yay, finally after two weeks of sitting on my computer I get to post this chapter. It literally just flowed from my fingers this one unlike the last two which were quite hard to write. Is there anybody out there? Just a hello in the review section would be nice :o)


	13. The Summer of Hate

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**PATH to DARKNESS** by Tyde

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**_Chapter Thirteen – The Summer of Hate_**

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Severus sat propped up in bed by several pillows and a Tales of Talon book clutched in his hand. Quirrell slept noiselessly on the other side of their chamber and he sighed. He was tired but not tired enough to sleep. A thought was moving around in his brain, like he'd forgotten something, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

He didn't know how she managed it, but Lily Evans had just slithered in through the tiny porthole in the wall of his room and was now sitting on his lap and running her delicate fingers over his cheek. Light touches that were starting to drive his crazy. She leaned in towards his lips and he almost passed out from excitement. Finally he had her. He didn't even think about how absurd the entire scene was, all he knew was that the love of his life had straddled his lap and was about to descend her pink lips upon his. As she came closer he closed his eyes, wanting to savour every millisecond of it when she suddenly licked his nose. His eyes flicked open in confusion only to realise that while reading his book he'd fallen asleep. There was no Lily but there was a dark green serpent curled up on his chest that seemed to be staring at him. It opened its mouth wide, exposing it's fangs as if to strike but he did not flinch. It froze in that mode and he looked puzzled at the left fang which seemed as if it had a thick black stripe around the middle of it. On closer inspection it proved to be a tiny roll of black parchment secured around the fang with magic. Severus slid the parchment piece off and unrolled it carefully.

_Midnight – July 18 – 44 Emerald Court, Paddlebury – Alone_

Turning it over he was rewarded with a slightly cryptic phrase.

_It begins._

Snape nodded to the snake and it slithered up the wall and out of the room through the porthole. Severus tossed up whether or not to discuss this with anybody. The note had said alone, and for some reason he didn't want to risk getting another note with simply the words 'It ends' before he'd gotten the chance to find out what begins.

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Severus slapped his owl alarm into submission and got out of bed. It was 11.30pm and he had to hurry if he was to make it on time. Mounting his broom he sped off into the night towards Paddlebury. A few villages away an excited Lucius Malfoy climbed out of his third storey window of the manor and jumped on his awaiting broom. A few other Slytherin students dotted around the country were either in the air or already standing outside of 44 Emerald Court. Scrambling off his broom Severus raced towards the door of the cottage just as the time ticked over to 11.59pm. He noticed Lucius's broom leaning up against the wall along with several others he vaguely recognised. _Had Lucius sent me those messages?_ Snape was puzzled. _Why not just tell me about it? Perhaps he's having a party_. He'd never been to Malfoy's house but he sensed this wasn't it. This seemed too temporary, like you could just pack the cottage up into a suitcase and move it around when it suited you. Leaving his broom next to Lucius's he entered the opened door. The door slammed behind him as the clock showed midnight.

The lounge room of 44 Emerald Court was full of people just standing around looking uncertain. Some Snape recognised from school and others that had long left school behind. He looked over to see Lucius gesturing for him to come over. He was aware of his shoes clattering loudly on the bare wooden floors as he made his way across the room. Severus whispered 'Do you know what's going on?'

'Not entirely. I kept getting these notes and the last one said to come here' So Malfoy hadn't sent them...it was somebody else that had called these people together. On the other side of Malfoy was Narcissa Canicula a Slytherin girl in their year that he'd never really thought about before. She smiled at Snape and he was surprised about how much a smile could change one's face. She was really quite pretty. He returned the smile and looked her up and down appreciatively. He was just about to open his mouth when a dark green flash illuminated the room and smoke dispersed from the unused fireplace. A tall man with sleeked back black hair stood in front of the fireplace with his arms folded across his chest.

'I see you all decided to turn up' his voice was somewhere between a growl and a hiss. It sent chills down Snape's spine. There was something inherently sexy about the man that stood before them and Snape saw Narcissa's eyes light up. The man did not introduce himself but starting pacing around the room with his hands behind his back and looking all of them in the eye individually.

'If you are smart you will know why you are here. If you pay attention to whispers and stirrings you will know who I am.' The Hogwarts students looked at each other with looks of confusion on their faces. 'If you are a student then that old crackpot fool Dumbledore will have kept you shaded from the outside world and what is really going on' They visibly relaxed at this statement. The man cracked his knuckles and looked directly at Lucius.

'I am Lord Voldemort and I am recruiting.' His eyes seemed to be full of crimson fire. 'Some of you will pass my tests, though many of you won't.' He swished his cloak around as he changed direction and was now just a foot away from Snape. 'I have been watching you all for a long time and I must say I'm quite satisfied with your progress.' Voldemort walked away and settled himself in an armchair. 'I wish to put together a group of wizards, and witches' he noted looking at Narcissa, 'that will serve me in my work.' A man named Travers looked at him with disbelief. _Why would we wanna do that? What made him so great? Talk doesn't convince me._

'And right it shouldn't Mr Travers.' The man being addressed snapped his head up in alarm. Could this Lord Voldemort read minds? 'It seems Mr Travers doesn't like to take things on face value. Nagini!' A large serpent slithered into the room. Voldemort emitted a series of hissing and spitting sounds and the snake reared up on it's tail and struck Nigel Travers in the eyes puncturing them with it's fangs. He started screaming in agony as the group looked on shocked. Voldemort narrowed his eyes at the sound. 'Screaming? SCREAMING?!' he yelled. 'You think you're in pain now? You know nothing, nothing about pain, boy!' The dark wizard raised his wand and pointed it at Travers. '_Crucio!_' he hissed. Travers body twisted and turned in all directions as his hands tried to stay over his eyes which were dripping blood down his cheeks. He found himself without voice and his open mouth and strangled expression spoke volumes of the pain he was in. After a minute or so Voldemort flicked his wand at the jerking body of Nigel and the man lay still, albeit whimpering.

'From the looks on your faces I take it you do not need another demonstration of my power. Goyle, Robertson, Lestrange, Calcara – follow me.' Lord Voldemort swept out of the room with the four men following in his footsteps. Nobody moved to help the shaking Travers on the ground and he extracted his own wand and after pointing it at his face and blubbering '_Oculus curatio_' his punctured eyes healed and the look of pain vanished from his face although it was still splattered with blood. He then promptly fainted.

The door that led into the kitchen of the cottage opened after a few minutes and Robertson and Calcara came out looking dazed. They Apparated out of the lounge room muttering something about running late for dinner.

'Must have modified their memories' a fierce looking grey-haired man standing on the other side of Snape said quietly.

For the next half hour small groups of people came in and out of the kitchen as Lord Voldemort assessed their ability at becoming one of his inner circle. Severus was surprised when Voldemort called out just his name to go into the other room.

The kitchen was covered in dust and remnants of rats and mice. Although they were in various stages of rotting, Voldemort and his snake could not have been in Paddlebury for longer than a week.

Voldemort directed him to a chair that sat in front of a large bowl that swirled with what looked like smoke. _That's a Pensieve_ a voice in the back of his mind intoned. It seemed to be almost overflowing and Snape knew that Voldemort really had been watching them all for a long time. Voldemort stirred the contents for a while and a little scene played out before them. It was that night in the Slytherin common room when Snape had told them all that his grandmother was Miliana Joxer.

'You lie...so convincingly to your friends. That is a quality to be admired. Tell me Severus...' Voldemort held the last s of his name in the air for a while 'How do you feel about revenge?' The Pensieve swirled faster and he saw it was now playing out the events of that night when Sirius Black had tried to kill him. He watched James pulling him from the hole under the Whomping Willow and carrying him up to the castle like he were a sack of potatoes. The anger rose up inside of him and he clenched his fists. He imagined the bowl swirling once again sometime in the future and it showing Black, Potter, Lupin and Pettigrew all flat out on their backs with him administering the Cruciatus curse on them. A wicked smile crept onto the young man's face. 'There is nothing sweeter, none more delicious that revenge.'

Voldemort looked at him closely 'Then that is what I offer you. A dish of revenge served with a side order of death. Betray me and death will come so swiftly you won't have the chance to blink. Do I make myself clear?' His eyes were filled with ice.

'Yes my Lord.'

'Very well.' He grabbed Snape's left arm and pressed the tip of his wand deeply into the flesh near his elbow.

'MORSMORDRE' he growled and Severus felt pain shoot hard into his arm. His arm felt like it was being ripped apart and just when he thought he couldn't take it anymore the pain shifted over into something he'd never felt before, something beyond pain. A euphoric feeling swept over him and he fell to the ground, a dark mark now clearly imprinted on his forearm.

'It is my mark I have placed upon you now Severus Snape.' Voldemort looked down at the young man sprawled at his feet. 'When I need you it will burn and you will come straight to me. Fail this and you will suffer. I hold the very power of death in my hands and you as my follower will share a little of my glory when we bring them all to their knees.'

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Snape rolled over in bed and thought more about what Lord Voldemort had said. _The very power of death in my hands_. Severus knew he was a dark wizard and that excited him. Here was a wizard that was not afraid to go out there and make the world the way he wanted it to be. Something had been brewing inside of Severus Snape ever since Hortense Hamilton had called him Severarse on their very first day of school. Finally he found someone that could help him get all that hatred out into the world and make them pay for his pain. Someone that could undoubtedly lead Snape on his way to greatness. Careful not to disturb Narcissa's sleep he untangled himself from the sheets and headed to the window. The moon shone brightly (that bastard Lupin he thought with renewed hatred) and Snape looked out onto his front yard. _This street is so pathetically Muggle, if given half the chance they'll act just like Hortense_ he thought. Severus began to imagine the street in flames, Muggles running to and fro with panic etched on their faces and he with his wand pointed in their direction. Snape felt like he'd been asleep all these years. Voldemort had opened his eyes and he couldn't have been more grateful.

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**Author's note:** Yay, he's gone dark! The sexy dark Snape we all love has finally arrived. Well I love the dark Snape anyway...anyone else? :o)


	14. The Cold Years

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**PATH to DARKNESS** by Tyde

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**_Chapter Fourteen – The Cold Years_**

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His once warm brown eyes had turned the colour of charcoal over the summer. Lily shivered just looking in his direction. He'd changed a lot that was for sure. Not just in the confident way he strutted through the Great Hall towards the Slytherin table but there was an air about him. Severus Snape seemed dangerous. He didn't look her way like he'd done in the years past. Sure, she'd put their once close friendship behind her but she thought they might be the type of people that said hello as they passed each other in the halls, but she could never imagine this Severus doing that. He wouldn't even see her, she was certain. If his eyes ever drifted in her direction they would stare straight through her like she were a pane of glass.

She watched him take his seat among Malfoy, Goyle, Nott and Macnair and they simply nodded their heads at each other. A nod of knowing. A blonde sixth year she didn't know gracefully slid into the seat next to Snape and smiled at him, a smile of admiration. She ran a long nailed finger down Severus's cheek with a smirk on her face. Lily couldn't help thinking they knew each other _very_ well. Lily frowned when she noticed that Snape's faithful friend Quirrell was up the other end of the long table, looking at them miserably. The Slytherin group ate quickly and Lily found she'd barely picked at her steak and kidney pie before they had risen from their seats and were drifting out of the room.

'Severus, wait up!' Lily jogged up beside him as he walked through the Entrance Hall. The blonde girl glared at Lily but left them alone none the less.

'Yes?' his mouth enquired but his eyes were blank.

'I...ah' now that she'd caught up and was standing right in front of him the words that were on the tip of her tongue seemingly disappeared. 'Er...did you have a nice summer?' she cringed at the lameness of her words as they spilled from her mouth.

'Very enlightening' he turned to leave.

'Sev' the familiar warmth of the way she almost pleaded his name washed over him. He had a quick intake of breath and then his heart and mind turned cold again.

'What do you want Mudblood? You said so yourself last term – we AREN'T friends. Why do you insist on carrying on this charade?' Snape stalked off towards the dungeons, the darkness swallowing him.

She sat down quickly on a bench, crushed. _He's never stooped to calling me Mudblood before. Something must be very wrong._ She felt a little wetness behind her eyes and she swallowed her sorrow down quickly before it had the chance to spill down her cheeks. _Guess we can't even be civil to one another. Good bye Sev._

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Narcissa had a scowl on her face that entirely spoiled the notion that she was an attractive girl. 'Leave!' she snarled. Quirrell didn't need to be told twice, he scurried up the ladder and out into the common room almost running head long into Snape who looked positively furious. He snapped at Quirrell who looked ready to poop his pants. Not bothering to climb down the ladder to his chambers Severus jumped into the hole and his robes flew back behind him giving him the impression of being a bat. Landing hard on the floor his eyes flicked over to where Narcissa was seductively draped across the velvet bedspread, her robes undone at the top to clearly indicate she wasn't wearing anything underneath. Getting up from his crouching position on the floor he sauntered over to her. A smile spread across her lips and she closed her eyes awaiting his kiss. To her shock she felt the sharp slap sting her cheek.

'Get out.' He said it quietly but not without malice.

Her hand upon her cheek she looked at him questioningly 'Severus, what's the matter?'

'I told you to get out, girl.'

'Sev?'

'ARE...YOU...DEAF?' He spaced the words out like he was talking to someone with diminished brain capacity. 'I said get out'

Gathering her robes around herself she shot him a look. 'It's because of _her_ isn't it? You bastard'

Sitting down on his bed Severus's hands started to shake. He'd been close to wrapping his hands around Narcissa's throat and holding on until she passed out. _Would have taught her a lesson_. What type of lesson he didn't know, he couldn't really figure out why he'd told her to leave in the first place. His brow furrowed. He'd had a great summer, Voldemort had planted the seeds of greatness within him. He remembered the practice of several curses, especially the Cruciatus curse. He'd only been practising on rats but he'd transfigured them to look like Potter and Black and he fondly remembered the screams issuing from their lopsided mouths. Voldemort had been very pleased with his progress and said maybe by the end of the year he'd advance to larger animals. He'd been dying to try it on the next door neighbours dog but knew the instant he tried magic outside of the protective cocoon Voldemort had created for them to practise in that he'd be picked up by the Ministry of Magic and fined for improper use of magic and underage at that!

A tentative foot was placed on the ladder above him and he saw a petrified looking Quirrell peering down to see if the path was clear.

'Come in' Snape drawled. Quirrell looked at him quizzically. 'Well what are you waiting for? Come in you little git.' Not for the first time Quirrell lost his footing on the ladder and fell into a heap on the floor.

'S-s-sorry S-s-severus-s. I-I-I just th-thought you...m-m-maybe' He was interrupted by a thunderous looking Snape.

'Don't think Quirrell, your brain can't handle it'

A wash of pain surrounded Quirrell's heart. Why was Snape being so mean to him? What had happened that summer...did it have anything to do with those mysterious letters he kept receiving? The quivering stutterer scrambled into bed and magicked his curtains closed. He didn't sleep well at all that night as he kept imagining Snape would come over and curse him while he slept. He'd never made a big thing out of it but Severus Snape was a formidable force in a duel. There wasn't a curse in a book that he hadn't mastered, except for the Unforgivables and he'd shown good form on one of them over the summer. If Quirrell had known this it was safe to say he'd never be able to sleep again.

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Quirrell moved out of the chambers he shared with Snape the following day. He didn't have much of a choice really when he discovered all his belongings sitting in the common room with a piece of parchment saying EVICTED on it. A serenely calm Snape sat in an armchair by the fire and as Quirrell tried to hoist his trunk onto his back Snape laughed. A cruel, booming laugh that filled the common room. Several of the seventh years looked at the two of them and then back at their papers. They could smell the power emanating from Severus and none of them wanted to get in his way.

'Are you a wizard or Muggle, you fool?' Snape looked derisively at him. 'Put a charm on the trunk and make it feather weight. Honestly Quirrell I really wonder how it is that you manage to get through a day without dying'. As he said the word dying Quirrell shivered involuntarily. With a flick of his wand Severus magicked a Slytherin scarf around Quirrell's throat and he was soon hanging in mid-air choking slightly while Snape looked on with a look of sick pleasure dancing across his face.

'SEVERUS SNAPE!' The voice of the head of Slytherin house rang out across the room causing Snape to lose his concentration and Quirrell to clatter to the floor. Professor Lapsus stood with her hands on her hips and looked at Snape in disbelief. 'What in Merlin's name were you doing?'

'Rehearsing' A look of contempt crept over his face.

'I beg your pardon?' Her eyes narrowed at him.

'Quirrell and I like to entertain the seventh years with a little fun and frivolity to take their minds off the stress of the N.E.W.T.S. Professor.' His eyes now held an innocence that Subire Lapsus hadn't seen since Snape's first year at Hogwarts.

'Is this true Mister Macnair?' Her gaze fell on the seventh year who was scratching his head absentmindedly.

'Yes Professor.' She stooped down to help Quirrell to his feet.

'Are you alright Slatero?' She dusted his robes off and he felt for a moment like a five year old that had scraped his knees and mummy was making him feel better. He liked that feeling and he had a sudden urge to hug Professor Lapsus and ask her to take him away. He resisted this urge however.

'A-a-absolutely. I was g-g-going for The Incredible Flying Scarf Boy look b-b-but it didn't really work. Sl-sl-slipped up a bit as you can see' he made a funny noise that was in-between a squeal and a snort and lifted his eyebrows at her dazedly.

'Hmmph' Professor Lapsus was reluctant to believe this explanation but when she saw Snape shoot a healing spell at Quirrell's swollen knee she finally softened. 'Right you are then. Do try to be careful in future though boys, I don't wish to have half of Slytherin house splattered over the dungeon floors. We've got to have our Seeker in top condition – don't want him missing out on any games this season or those ruddy Gryffindors might just come up and beat us this year.' She exited.

Snape looked at Slytherin's new Seeker. Sally Janvier, the former Seeker, had left Hogwarts last year and in her place Professor Lapsus had chosen Quirrell. Severus couldn't for the life of him think why although Quirrell did seem to be a good flier. He supposed he'd find out in the first Quidditch practice they'd have in a few weeks.

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A Slytherin Quidditch cup victory was not to grace them that year. Gryffindor _did_ come up and win the cup and Quirrell although quite a good Seeker didn't quite match up to James Potter who was steadily making his way to the top of the People to Hate list Severus was constructing in his head. He was in second place behind Sirius Black who Snape would never as long as he lived and breathed on this earth would forgive. James would eventually make it to the top of Snape's list and he did it not by trying to kill him but by becoming Head Boy along with Lily in their last year at Hogwarts. It was around this time that they also openly admitted they were besotted with one another and were seen wandering the halls hand in hand. This further caused Snape to slip deeper into Voldemort's world and although he loved to plan things down to the letter he'd never get the measure of James Potter.

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**Author's note:** I really thought that scene with Narcissa was going to turn into wild monkey sex but then look what happened. Go figure. There are some parts of my brain that like to form alliances against other parts and then they talk to my fingers and get them on side and before you know it – BOOM! No sex and a cranky Snape. A sexy, cranky Snape. I really do have to stop thinking about sexy, cranky Snape...makes me drool on the keyboard.

**Carasiel **– Enough dark Snape for you? Still loving it? :o) Thanks for the kind words. Up next – more raw power and Voldemort evilness. Ah yes, the bad boys are the best aren't they?


	15. I Don't Know You Anymore

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**PATH to DARKNESS** by Tyde

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**_Chapter Fifteen – I Don't Know You Anymore_**

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**Author's note:** I took Chapter Fifteen down for a little while this morning if you didn't catch my earlier note. Sorry if you clicked then expecting to find more Snape evilness. I needed to re-write it cause I was getting impatient with the story and just wanted to skip ahead to more interesting (albeit evil) things and the last year of Hogwarts was standing in the way of it. But I've decided that the seventh year will feature a bit. So for all those of you that have already read the original Chapter Fifteen – rewind and slog through it again! I'm a little distracted by the terrorist attacks in Bali at the moment and it's really hard to write evil stuff that involves blowing things up even if the HP universe is so different from our own. I'm also going on holidays next Saturday for a week so I probably won't update the story for a week or so. But I promise I'll leave you with another chapter at least before I go away. Hey, maybe my holiday will inspire me and Snape will be going to live on a tropical island somewhere...yeah right! :o)

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Most of the former sixth year students spent their summers watching local Quidditch games or studying for their impending N.E.W.Ts. Severus Snape spent it Apparating all over Great Britain testing himself. To his immense pride he had not once splinched himself (Goyle and Macnair had both done it twice) and Voldemort seemed pleased he had mastered it. It didn't do to have to zoom towards Voldemort's location on his broom every time his tattoo burned – not only was it highly inconvenient time-wise it was also dangerous lest Muggles should catch him zooming across the London sky at lunch time. His father was positively bursting with pride when Severus Apparated into the lounge room one evening with is Apparation license clutched in his hand.

After she spent half the summer huffing at him whenever he was near her Narcissa eventually let Severus back into her bed. She'd picked up with Lucius in the meantime but dropped him like a hot potato when Severus held her in his arms again, aide of course by the flick of a wand. He was slowly mastering the Imperious curse and didn't doubt that he'd have half of Britain eating out of his hand before long.

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Dancing around in front of the magical blackboard at the back of the Great Hall an over-excited Peter Pettigrew let out a whoop. A whoop worthy of A's in all subjects but James noticed with a smile that Peter had scraped a pass in all classes. 'Good on you Pettigrew' the Head Boy clapped him on the shoulder and moved forward to find his marks. There it glimmered at the top of the board in magical purple chalk _James Potter and Lily Evans Joint Dux of Hogwarts 1977_. Further down the list he saw their A+ marks for all subjects. He turned around to look for Lily but she wasn't anywhere in sight, his eyes however locked on a sour looking Severus Snape.

'Move it Potter, some of us would like to get a look in if you don't mind' he stepped up shoving a hapless Quirrell aside. 

'Sure Snape. Hope you did well' he said with a note of sincerity which only got him a glare from the black haired boy. James backed off and walked towards the Gryffindor table thinking maybe Lily was already hoeing into a hearty breakfast. Snape didn't hear Lily come up behind him eager for her marks. Raising his arm up to trace over from his name to the mark allocated the sleeve of his robe slid down to his elbow and for a brief second Lily glimpsed what she could only describe as a black smudge near the inside crease of his elbow. With an unnatural speed Snape whipped up the sleeve of his robes and looked around straight into the eyes of Lily Evans whose face was formed into one of confusion. His look could only be described as bewildered and he stormed past her and straight out the door towards the dungeons. A dark brown owl fluttered after him with a piece of black parchment attached to it's leg.

He didn't even reach the common room before the owl had landed on his shoulder and was holding it's leg out in front of his eyes. Unravelling the piece of paper quickly, eager for a personal message from his master, to his disappointment he found only a standard letter that told of his master's return to England after a long journey in Europe. He'd told his followers in their last meeting that he would be going to the forests of Bundesrepublic Deutschland in search of darker magicks, ones that could sustain his life and make him resistant to death. Voldemort had been drinking potions (prepared by Severus of course) of Dementor bile which made him stronger and gave his glares a withering power none had thought possible, but it did not give him the immortal factor he craved. The letter finished off with a location and a time. _Stand tall and proud until I come. Do not talk, do not move. It is time to bring all of my Death Eaters together._

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'You seem troubled Severus'

'Not at all Headmaster, merely exhausted after a tough, but rewarding year at Hogwarts. I cannot believe it is time to leave here already. Are we really all ready for the world out there?' Snape nearly busted a gut trying to be as sweet as pie as he spoke to Dumbledore. The Headmaster had called him into his office unexpectedly and he was wary that somehow the old man had cottoned onto his alternate life.

'That and many other things I assure you Mister Snape. Please take a seat. I promise this won't hurt a bit' a twinkle in Dumbledore's eye relaxed him. _He doesn't know, the dottering old fool doesn't know. Of course he doesn't, how could he?_ A derisive laugh sounded inside his head. The Headmaster continued 'Have you thought about what it is you will do now that your time at Hogwarts is finished?' Snape almost laughed out aloud, _he sounds just like my parents, what will you do with your future Sevi, darling?_

The young man looked up at Dumbledore and smiled 'I really haven't thought about it. I know my potions marks are good enough to get me a job in the Ministry lab but I haven't altogether decided what it is I will do. Perhaps open an Apothocary? Professor Pomfrey said I showed promise in the healing arts.'

'And indeed you do, but your marks are also good enough for a job here as Potions Master.' Looking at Snape he answered his question before it even came about 'Professor Pomfrey is replacing Madam Ixilee as school nurse next year. We are in need of a Potions teacher and I thought you suited it to a tea, as it were.'

That statement certainly threw him for a curve. _Me, Potions master?_ His eyes met Dumbledore's which held an expectant air. 'Er...I'll have to think about it Professor. That's certainly a big step'

'I have complete confidence in your ability Severus'

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Severus stepped out from behind the gargoyle statue that hid the entrance to Dumbledore's office. He had a frown on his face. _Why would he ask me to stay on and become a teacher? Helping these mindless idiots to become pathetic Muggle-loving dunderheads, not likely. Sure my potions marks were the best the school had seen in years but I really don't think I'm teacher material – I still have so much more to learn and my master can teach it all to me and then perhaps when I know everything there is to know, then I'll come back and teach them something._ He laughed out loud and was rewarded by a strange look from Lily Evans as she stood a few feet away. He glared at her. 'What do you want?'

'If you must know I'm here to see the Professor' she snapped back. 'It may be your last day here at Hogwarts Snape but I'm still Head Girl and I can still take points from Slytherin. Not that it will make a difference, you're still bottom of the cauldron in the House cup. Too many hexes and curses got you down? Maybe you should try being civil to people.'

'Trying to be civil to bloody Gryffindors and their friends that tried to kill me in fifth year? Not bloody likely Mudblood.' His lip curled at her.

'Clear off Snape!' she fingered her wand lovingly 'Or I might just hex you right here and now'

'Go on then Lily – you wouldn't have the guts! Pathetic blubbering girl you are'

She raised her hand in the air and then dropped it by her side. 'You're not worth it Severus Snape, not by a long shot. I was wrong all those years ago thinking you were worth a Knut. You're nothing but a typical Slytherin, bad inside and out. If I never see you again it'll be too soon' she flounced off down the hall forgetting entirely about her meeting with Dumbledore. Snape stalked back to the dungeons for one last look around the common room with her words burning in his ears. It shouldn't have bothered him, but it did. Through it all Severus was still in love with Lily Evans.

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**Author's note**: Okay so I've fixed this chapter up, finally! Sorry about the delay and thank you for being patient.

**Sila-chan** – Bristol is somewhere in Britain. Hagrid mentions it when he brings the baby Harry to Dumbledore and McGonagall at the Dursleys. 'The little tyke fell to sleep just as we were flying over Bristol'. It's also a paint brand hehe. As for the NakedSnape, what can I say – I like a bad boy :o) My friends think I'm nuts cause I get this 'well hello' look on my face every time I watch the movie and he comes on the screen. I think Alan Rickman is a couple of years older than my father...kinda sick huh?

**Dymphna** – I've made it bearable? Woohoo, kudos to me. More darkness and sexiness and all round badness for our Snapiepoos. As for Voldie – even badder. Just hope I can write it to your satisfaction and my own!


	16. Descending

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**PATH to DARKNESS** by Tyde

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**_Chapter Sixteen – Descending_**

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Severus woke that morning renewed with energy. His master was returning from Europe today and the first meeting of all the Death Eaters would take place in a marsh near Bocker. Pushing his covers aside he picked up the mask sitting on his desk chair. It was made of thick black leather and would serve the purpose of not only keeping themselves anonymous to each other, but also to the Ministry of Magic and Muggles. _Can't convict if there is no visual proof_ he thought. Concealing the mask under his robes he tramped down the stairs for breakfast.

'Morning Sevi, how are you feeling today?' His mother looked at him concerned, she always looked at him that way but since he'd finished Hogwarts the look seemed to have intensified.

'Fine thank you Mother' he gulped down some orange juice while scanning the Daily Prophet for anything that may indicate that the antics of himself and Malfoy last night had garnered any interest.

'You just seem a little...' she didn't get the chance to finish before he'd interrupted.

'Distant?'

'Exactly'

'End of school Mum, start of adulthood, all that stuff. It's a lot to fathom' he looked at her. 'Surely you understand? Hasn't been that long since you left school Mum'

Flattered slightly by this complement she looked over at the hot plate that was frying up some mooncakes. 'Always the little charmer aren't you Severus? I just don't want to see you waste away this time. Professor Dumbledore sent us a note to say that he'd offered you a job as Potions master'

'He did WHAT?' Snape's eyes flashed with anger. _That bastard, how dare he do that? I already turned him down._

'He said you were going to think about it for a week or two before giving an ultimatum. Have you decided yet?'

The anger rose up inside of the young man and he teetered dangerously on the edge of exploding. If he starting raving about what a bastard Albus Dumbledore was in front of his mother he knew she'd get suspicious. He wanted to grab her by the throat and throw her out the window all the while screaming _I will never work for him, ever_! But he just munched on a moon cake she plopped in front of him and half-grinned. 'No counting your chickens before they're hatched Mum! I told him I'd consider it, but straight out of school and being a Potions master? Bit too much for me I think, maybe start off small at a pharmacy or something first.'

'Don't undersell yourself dear, you could be great you know.'

'I said I'd think about it Mum, haven't completely dismissed it yet' _Not for all the gold in Gringotts would I work for Dumbledore._ He gave her a half-hearted smile as if to reassure her.

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At least 40 people stood along the sludgy edge of the marsh with leather masks hiding their faces. Severus shifted position ever so slightly, his feet sending little stabbing pains up his calves. They had been standing there for over an hour waiting for Lord Voldemort and he was thinking if he didn't suddenly keel over from boredom that his feet may fall off. The last owl they had each received from the Dark Lord had said to meet here, to stand there without greeting anyone (even if you could identify them by their robes) and not talking. They were to wait there for as long as it would take for him to turn up. Around the 20 minute mark some women further down the line had gotten into a discussion about the latest robes from Madam Malkins. Apparently purple was all the rage and if you dared to even think about red you should be banished to Azkaban for crimes against fashion. Snape couldn't help thinking they wouldn't last long in the clutches of Lord Voldemort. He resisted the urge to tell them to shut up and instead just stared at the horizon which was littered with little blotches he could only assume were farm houses. A chilly breeze, not uncommon in late June for this part of Scotland, swept across the marsh towards them and several of the Death Eaters shivered. Another hour passed and Severus was slowly being driven mad by the twittering giggles of the women at the other end of the line and also some of the men who were starting to boast about the dark artefacts they had stored in their attics. That's right, a severed hand that will choke people to death on command he heard one proclaim proudly.

Only those that had been standing perfectly and fully alert heard the tiny pop announcing the arrival of their master behind them and the uttering of a curse. The women that had been chattering and the boasting gentlemen were now rolling in the mud of the marsh their screams of pain filling the air. 'When I give instructions I expect them to be followed, to the letter' his cold voice was even. Pointing his wand at their convulsing figures he continued 'Get up you fools! I will not tolerate disobedience in my ranks.' The witches and wizards tried to stand up straight but the pain still emanating in their bodies caused them to slump slightly.

'I see most of you chose to heed my instructions and for that you will not be punished, nor will you be rewarded. Is it so much to ask for obedience from ones servants?'

'No master' they mumbled. Snape's eyes glittered in the dusk light as he swallowed these words being feed to him by the man that had by this time become something of a father to him.

'Good' Voldemort growled. 'As you are well aware for the past few years I have been endeavouring to find a way that would make me impervious to harm. The forests of Germany proved fruitless and deep in the wilds of Africa I have found it. No wizard nor Muggle alive can hurt me, my power is absolute' his voice echoed out over the marsh and mingled with the cows grazing in the distance. Glaring at the witches that had been chattering he lifted his wand almost lazily and shot a bright flash of green at them. The ranks of Death Eaters took a collective breath. The witches however did not, they would never breathe again.

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It didn't seem odd to Severus that Lord Voldemort insisted on private meetings and lessons of terrible curses like _Avada Kedavra_. He killed countless rats and cockroaches, even a wild boar once. He didn't realise that the Dark Lord had not taken such a personal interest in the others. Voldemort saw something in the boy that reminded him of himself when he was younger. Still a little green around the gills but with an underlying hatred of Muggles that he was yet to discover. He probably knew it in the deepest, darkest recesses of his mind but for now it lay dormant. The other Death Eaters were left to their own devices at times. The Dark Lord brought his Pensieve before the young man who looked at it quizzically.

'What are we to learn now, master?'

'Not learn my boy, but see' Voldemort pushed the tip of his wand against Severus's temple and pulled a strand of thought from it. He swirled it into the empty bowl. He did this repeatedly until soon the bowl was full and bursting. 'I know nothing of your childhood, you will show me'

Leaning forward Snape poked his wand into the mist. An image of him playing Quidditch with his father arose and his master shook his head. 'No, not happy memories. Something else...' An image showed a toddler Severus falling into a cauldron. When he saw his master shake his head he conjured up a vision of him falling down the stairs, out of the window, dozens of unhappy memories for Severus but it wasn't enough for his teacher. Frustrated Lord Voldemort shouted at Snape nearly sending him off his chair 'For Merlin's sake boy, what are you a pathetic Mudblood? Don't tell me all your looming dark power is some sort of a freak accident?' Cowering slightly from his master Severus's head snapped up at the word freak. His eyes glowed a dangerous red and he grabbed the dark leader by the front of his robes spitting anger with every breath. 'Don't you ever call me a freak! EVER!' he positively roared the last word and Voldemort's hard mouth twisted into a smile. The Pensieve had stopped swirling and the image of Hortense Hamilton berating a 10 year old Severus in front of the whole class shone up at him. Echoing around the room he thought he sensed a horde of voices whispering freak over and over again. Shocked at his own outrage he fell to the floor, kissing the hem of Lord Voldemort's robes while muttering how very sorry he was.

Voldemort barked at him 'Think nothing of it. It was necessary for me to see' His mouth twisted back into that chilling smile that years from now would strike fear in the hearts of all. 'You're ready boy. The time has come.'

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He walked down the Muggle street in his best robes, a jaunt to his step. He stopped out the front of number 14 and a smirk spread forth onto his face. Climbing the few steps up onto the porch he pressed the door bell.

A female voice called out 'Just a moment' before he could hear footsteps pounding down the staircase. The door opened up and there stood Hortense Hamilton, the bane of his Muggle school existence. She'd gotten older of course and considerably large. Severus noticed the wide spread to her hips and how the buttons on her blouse seemed to be straining to not pop off.

'Can I help you?' she clearly didn't recognise the thunderous looking young man in front of her. It had been seven years and unlike Hortense's weight gain, Severus Snape had changed in different ways considerably. Not only had his eyes darkened but his stature had changed. He seemingly towered over her, filling the whole doorway. 'Do I know you?'

'You don't remember me? Ickle Severarse?' his voice contained only a hint of a growl and she didn't notice.

Her face lit up and she smiled at him. 'Severus Snape! What a surprise. Won't you come in for a cup of tea? What school was it that your parents sent you off to again? I've just got off the phone to Jenny Jenkins, you'd remember her?' she prattled off a mile a minute while Snape crossed the threshold and followed her into the kitchen. The ire rose in him. It was like she didn't even remember how horrible she'd been to him in school. His hands clenched and unclenched by his side as she bustled around the kitchen. She was babbling something about Jenny Jenkins but Severus didn't care to listen. As she passed him a cup of tea he grabbed a hold of her wrist and smiled. A dark smile that held only his deepest and darkest desires. The tea cup clattered to the floor and smashed on the tiles, sending porcelain pieces and splashes of hot tea into the air. She looked at him confused and as she went to open her mouth to say something he silenced her with a finger to his lips.

'Oh no Hortie, no talking, just screaming' the house around them seemed to swirl into darkness and then suddenly they were in Emerson Woods. The girl fell to the ground and Severus pointed his wand at her. A swish of his wand and Hortense Hamilton was rolling around in the dirt in pure agony, in the unforgiving clutches of the Cruciatus curse. Her scream pierced the night and Severus muttered a silencing charm at the woods around them. He, however, could still hear the screaming and it warmed him to the bone, sending little shivers of delight up and down his spine.

'No one will save you Hortense. They can't hear you. You're going to die lonely in this wood with me Severus Snape standing over you. I told you what my father was years ago, do you remember? But you just called me freak. You don't believe in magic do you, Hortense? You don't believe in wizards either? Always ignorant aren't you? Till the very end.' Tears were staining her cheeks as she tried to sit up, tried to do something that would stop the pain from shooting through her body but she couldn't.

'Kill her now' a slimy voice issued from the trees behind the young wizard.

'But Master, I haven't finished with her' Snape's eyes were burning holes right through the woman writhing on the ground. 'She deserves more pain.'

'I do not say this to end her pain. She's a hapless Muggle, crumbled at your feet Severus, if you do not kill her soon she will go insane and the lasting memory of you killing her will not linger on this side of reality. Kill her now while she can still recognise who it is that administers the final stroke. Killing her is the only way to set yourself free.' Lord Voldemort had stepped out from behind the trees and now rested a slim, pale hand on Snape's shoulder. A feeling of euphoria, just like when Voldemort had administered his mark, snaked its way through Snape.

For a split second Hortense Hamilton was relieved of the pain that had been wracking her for the last five minutes. Her skin still hummed with the after effects and as she stood up to confront her attacker he again raised his wand.

'You failed this exam Hortense. _Avada Kedavra_!' The rush of power from his wand flattened several bushes surrounding them and with a green flash and a shriek that would echo in his head for years to come, the know-it-all Miss Hamilton lay flat on her back, devoid of all signs of life.

'Nicely done boy' the Dark Lord clapped a hand on Snape's shoulder. 'Nicely done. Raise the sign so all will know.'

A swirl of glittering dark green issued from Snape's wand and formed in the sky the symbol he also had tattooed to the inside of his left arm. A skull with the tongue of a serpent slithering out of it. His face shone in the glow of the Dark Mark and he allowed a tentative smile to play across his lips.

'Your first kill is always the most exhilarating I find. Tell me, how do you feel?' The snake like eyes of Voldemort sparkled dangerously.

'Like every fibre of my being has been awaken. I've never felt more alive' Severus spun his wand like a baton around the fingers of his right hand. 'It's just the beginning, isn't it? Your plans far exceed all our expectations don't they, master?'

'The very earth trembles in fear my boy' his corrupter hissed.

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**Author's note:** Huh. Chapters seem to be getting longer. Funny that. I appear to be having a little bit of Writer's Diarrhoea (the opposite of Writer's Block of course) in this chapter. I like to keep it around 1,700 words but this is over 2,500 words (according to Microsoft Word counting mechanism – not Fanfiction.net – I don't get how that system works). And can you believe I got all excited and then realised I couldn't post it cause I hadn't fleshed out Chapter 15 year, silly me! Of course that is all irrelevant now that I've posted this up and obviously that means Chapter 15 is up and running. Excuse my pathetic run of talking to myself.


	17. Making His Mark

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**PATH to DARKNESS** by Tyde

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**_Chapter Seventeen – Making His Mark_**

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**Author's note: **This is the chapter I promised before going on holidays. Hopefully I will write a lot when I'm on holidays, might even finish this off by the end of next week. Of course I'll post new chapters as soon as I possibly can! :o) 

I've created a list you can join if you want to know when I update this story. You can join by going here **http://tyd.diaryland.com/notifylist.html**

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The front page of the Daily Prophet that day had a large glittering picture of Voldemort's Dark Mark. Underneath was an article that basically said

_'What in flipping heck is this?'_

_Several witnesses saw it shoot up into the sky last night around a wooded area near Colchester in south eastern England in the county of Essex. 'My best guess is that it's some sort of fireworks set off by a drunken wizard'. Rogue Slytherin students from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardy have also been under suspicion due to the symbol containing the image of a snake. The Memory Modifying team at the Ministry are having a hard time shushing this up with Muggles. The Ministry is sending in two people from the Department of Mysteries to do something today. We're not entirely sure what and we don't know when they will be coming back. In their own words 'Keep your big nose out of it you snooping witch!' We do know however that the woods are quite thick and therefore it will be difficult to search the large area to turn up anything that may bring us closer to determining the cause of this unusual symbol._

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Albus looked at the front of the Daily Prophet with a thoughtful looked upon his face. There was something incredibly familiar about that symbol in the sky, something perhaps he'd read many years ago? He shook his head and tried to think clearly. His Pensieve held no answers, for once it it's very useful life, and he wracked his brain. Skull with snake, skull with snake. What can it mean? Unlike the rest of the community who seemed to think it was some sort of alternative to Muggle fireworks (which they welcomed, many a time had a flying witch or wizard lose half their broom to a spark filled firework exploding near then) that didn't burn anything but just hung in the sky for an hour or two, the Headmaster had a bad feeling about it. This was not a fun-filled symbol on any account. There was something sinister about that mark and by Jove he'd figure it out. A house elf brought him in another cup of Peppermint tea which he sipped thoughtfully. He rubbed his eyes with his free hand and sighed. He couldn't keep up these late nights. It was killing him.

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Sitting up in bed suddenly like he'd been bitten by something Albus called out 'Of course! It's Egyptian'. He scrambled out of bed and headed for the library and into the back where Irma kept the teacher-only volumes locked up. Grabbing _Ancient Egyptian History of Signs and Symbols _from the shelf he flicked through it until he found what he was looking for. A sketch in gold ink of a similar symbol raised in the sky by a dark wizard that terrorised the people of ancient Egypt a thousand or so years ago lay on the page, shimmering slightly. The symbol was called Morsdemordre which meant 'death bite'. He would raise it in the air whenever he had conquered the life of another. Contrary to popular Muggle belief that she had committed suicide it had been this man that killed Cleopatra with the bite of an asp. He was a Parselmouth and controlled the snake to mesmerise her into believing she should die and while the venom from the asp swam in her blood, the Pharaoh's brother administered the final stroke with his wand (Ollivanders – 10 and half inches, thick Nile reed with a core of asp's blood). He had then shot his symbol into the sky and for years the people lived in fear of coming home to a golden shining skull hanging above their dwellings. Dumbledore shut the book with a soft thud. Somebody was out there killing people, marking their territory and he feared this was only the beginning.

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Jyliana picked the Daily Prophet up from where Bekla had dropped it on the table and munched on some toast as she unravelled it. 'Maybe they'll have the answer to that symbol in the sky from yesterday' she mused. She didn't notice Severus practically bounce into the kitchen that morning and take a seat with a look of immense satisfaction on his face. She did however wrap her brunch coat around her a little tighter as the temperature suddenly dropped a little.

'Oh dear'

'What is it Mother?'

'That mark in the sky the other night, they found out what it means?'

'Oh yeah' he said casually. 'What?'

'The bite of death' she shivered involuntarily. 'It was marking the site of a murder. A Muggle girl, Hortense Hamilton. Now why does that sound familiar?' She munched a little more on her toast and then it hit her. She knocked her juice all over the table. Hurriedly flicking her wand to clean it up she swallowed her toast quickly 'Good Merlin. She was your friend wasn't she? At Muggle school I mean' she peered at her son whose face was now a mask devoid of all emotions so she couldn't read it.

'Yes mother' he said quietly albeit bitterly. _Do my parents even know me anymore?_

'This is frightful. It was obviously a magical death. OH!' she'd skimmed further down the page. 'The Killing Curse! Why that's an Unforgiveable. There hasn't been a case of that being used in...' her voice trailed off as Severus loped out of the room, the kitchen door swinging behind him, bored already.

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The letter sat in front of him, a letter from an old friend, and he reread it once again.

_Supporters that call themselves Death Eaters, masked so as not to reveal their identities. All over Britain and possibly extending into Europe. It's only a matter of time before they spread over the whole of the earth. Lord Voldemort, a formidable opponent. Spent time in Egypt and Bundesrepublic Deutschland, dark magicks harnessed. Caution to be used, Unforgiveables are his favourite._

Albus threw a bunch of self-summoning Floo powder into the fire. The flames rose up in shades of pink as he called out a stream of names.

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The Hogwarts headmaster looked around his office carefully. Mundungus Fletcher, Minerva McGonagall, Arabella Figg, Rubeus Hagrid, Alastor Moody, Remus Lupin, Sirius Black, James Potter, Lily Evans, Molly & Arthur Weasley and a few others were dotted the room. Dumbledore's face was grave. He'd just received an owl from the Ministry of Magic informing him that a former student of Hogwarts, one Tom Riddle, had been involved in the raising of Morsdemordre (which some were now referring to as the Dark Mark) and the death of the Muggle. _We suspect_, the letter continued, _that he is planning an uprising and possibly more murders and not just Muggles._ Dumbledore had snorted at that sentence. Of course he was planning more, the Ministry was always a month or two behind everyone else. Dumbledore had done his own investigations with the help of his friend. If he remembered Tom Riddle correctly he was a determined man and nothing would stand in his way, except of course Dumbledore himself. A chance encounter a few years ago had left the former student quaking in his boots in Flourish and Blotts.

'I'm sure you are all wondering why it is I called you here today'

'It's the Dark Mark isn't it?' Mrs Figg asked. 'There's a threat out there Albus. What can we do?'

He looked at the woman carefully 'Yes Arabella, it's the dark mark of which I speak. Lord Voldemort has instigated an uprising of fear among our world and that of the Muggles also'

'Lord Voldemort?' Hagrid looked confused. 'Who's tha?'

'Tom Riddle' Dumbledore said and he noticed the groundskeeper's face turn purple with anger.

'Tom Riddle? Tha liddle pipsqueak? I'd crush him with ma fist if ya let me at 'im!' Across the room Minerva looked terrified and backed away from Hagrid until she was backed into a wall. She began to shake and so too did her voice as she spoke up 'Albus...how can Riddle hope to do this? He's just one wizard. The Ministry have their best Auror's on the job, surely we are all safe from this violence?'

'I fear not. He has supporters that mask themselves to protect their identities and they do his bidding. It is my belief that the raising of the dark mark two weeks ago was done by one of his supporters and not himself. The Daily Prophet has hushed up most of the recent goings on. Several Ministry workers have been tortured by the Cruciatus curse for nothing but mere fun, countless Muggles have died and still the paper keeps quiet. They want to avoid national panic but people aren't stupid, they will realise. It's hard to determine how many Lord Voldemort has on his side. If there is one thing I definitely remember about Tom he was a smart, determined boy that would most certainly do his homework on something like this. He wouldn't start something of this magnitude without the resources' Molly Weasley shook her head at this in disbelief.

'And you want us to join ranks to wipe out Voldemort and his supporters?'

'Precisely Mundungus. Some of you will remember the time of Miliana Joxer and the terror it brought through the community at the time, but Voldemort I fear will be much worse' Fawkes straightened up on his perch as if to remind Dumbledore that he was there. Albus smiled at the flame red bird and turned back to the gathered witches and wizards. 'I hereby invite you all to join me fighting Voldemort and his supporters under the banner of Fawkes.' They all nodded their agreement without a second thought.

'It is grave times ahead and I thank you all, together as the Order of the Phoenix we will conquer' The look of determination on his face would have convinced any Sorting Hat within three miles that this man could very well have been a Slytherin in his youth.

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**Author's note:** Wonder why McGonagall was so terrified when Hagrid talked about crushing Riddle with his fist? Read Beloved (story id: 995144) – my HP/songfic. Might explain it a bit more. And who do you reckon sent Dumbledore the letter? :o)

Geez **CrinkleCutRuffles** – are you horny or something? Hehe, j/k. Slight obsession with slash me thinks! No, it's not going to turn into a Voldie and Snapepoos mush fest. I can see the potential but I'm not too good with writing relationship type stuff. I feel more comfortable writing hatred and stuff like that. 

**Charmed Vampyre** – thanks for the wishes of good luck. I appreciate it! Oh and there will be more sexy, dark, naked Snape coming up. I'm not sure how much naked Snape I can put in with a PG-13 rating (ratings are different in Australia and I don't fully understand the American ones) though.


	18. When Is It Too Late?

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**PATH to DARKNESS** by Tyde

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**_Chapter Eighteen – When Is It Too Late?_**

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It had been five years since Severus had left Hogwarts. Five years of teachings from his master and five years that had rendered the world in pain and suffering from the antics of Death Eaters. Countless Muggles and Mudblood had met their end at the end of a wand. Two Death Eaters (Rosier and Wilkes) had met their demise at the hands of Aurors but no one could tell for sure how many of them there were. They seemed to be everywhere at once. People were now too terrified to use the Dark Lord's name and would only refer to him as He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named or You-Know-Who. There was a rumour going around that someone in the Ministry had uttered Lord Voldemort in their sleep and he'd Apparated straight to them and taken their life before they could even wake up. It was an unconfirmed rumour but one that no one wished to test. Snape lived in a small flat above The Daily Prophet in Diagon Alley with Narcissa and Lucius and they made regular trips to Knockturn Alley for supplies and to keep up on the latest news. He found out from a gossipy witch in the Apothecary that Lily's mother had died in a car accident several months ago and that her sister had married a man called Vernon who was just as ridiculous as Petunia herself. His heart ached a little for Lily but not as much as it had in school. The darkness inside of him was slowly spreading through every fibre of his being. How long would it be before it was too late to save him?

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**Junior Minister for Magic James Potter to marry Auror Lily Evans!**

The heading on the front page of the Daily Prophet screamed out at him. Literally. The printers had included a charm in the paper that day to scream whatever headline the reader was looking at, at the time. A picture of James standing behind Lily with his arms around her sickened Snape to the stomach. Her smile, that still made his heart skip, was wider than he'd ever seen it before and she didn't seem fussed by having those 'cretins' arms around her. James would lean down to nuzzle her neck and she'd try to playfully swat him away. A twitch developed just under Snape's eyebrow and he pressed at it with his fingers, but still it flickered. He sat there squeezing the flesh between his thumb and forefinger but still the flickering refused to stop. It was like a mini-heartbeat in his face and it was simply driving him nuts. Snape had never felt so murderous towards James as he did right at that very moment. He stormed off to his cauldron to brew up a paste to make the flickering stop in his eyebrow. Was it was too late now?

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He wasn't sure what it was that drove his need to have Lily by his side. Was it love? He couldn't be certain. Was it more a need to conquer over Potter. He was obsessed with making that man feel pain – it didn't really matter who she ended up with he'd give them all pain. Potter, Lupin and especially Black. He reserved just a little more venom for that man. He hadn't see hide nor hair of him in 3 years, just heard he was flying around Wales and Ireland on a motorcycle. Snape knew it was only because of Potter's interference that Sirius as allowed to keep the modified Muggle artefact. Rookwood had told him so at the last meeting with Voldemort. He'd also heard talk of a private band of Dark Defense League fighters that called themselves the Order of the Phoenix. Moody was one of them but the others were still unknown. Severus was beginning to feel a little trapped. There were so many Death Eaters pretending not to be supporters of the Dark Lord and too many Aurors from the DDL going undercover to bust the ranks of Death Eaters. He himself had narrowly escaped a stunning curse set upon them by Bartimus Crouch Snr. Travers however had not been so lucky and was now ensconced in Azkaban where he was slowly going mad. Snape privately thought that was where Voldemort had gone wrong. He'd waited too long to get the Dementors on sid4e and they were becoming increasingly disloyal to him. The giants had been a smart move but only for mostly wizard villages. The giant king Torsten had killed too many Muggles on a whim and Voldemort was becoming increasingly agitated with him. His queen Helgatha had kept mostly in line though because she liked to think of the Dark Lord as her own personal toy boy – literally. He endured her flinging him about because he was yet to find a spell that could kill a fully grown mountain giant. Avada Kedavra just didn't seem to be enough. Macnair had proven useful with providing all sorts of magical creatures and beasts but unfortunately had lost the Hippogriffs and Manticores to Hagrid. Voldemort had demanded someone find out his price but Snape conceded that Hagrid's loyalty to Dumbledore was too fierce and would never waver.

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He crouched down in the shadow of the lowly elm and watched. They burst out through the double doors arm in arm with matching smiles plastered on their faces. The throng of people gathered outside started cheering and throwing handfuls of confetti that would dance around their heads for hours like a cheery, colourful rainbow. It was enough to make you ill really, all this sickly sweet goings on. It's funny then that Severus Snape, he of the scowling and dark clothing, would have given anything to be the man by her side making her Mrs Snape and not Mrs Potter. She was positively glowing today and he swallowed the sob that had risen in his throat. His right traced his wand in his pocket and he thought of emerging from the shadows and shouting the killing curse triumphantly at James Potter, but they were only thoughts. There were too many people around including half the Dark Defense League and not to mention high profile Ministry members. He'd never get away from them all and he didn't have his mask either. _What use would it be to kill her new husband right in front of her if she could see your face? She'd never go to you then. She'd never love you after something like that._ He sank further behind the tree when he spotted Albus Dumbledore emerging from behind Sirius Black and Daisy Longbottom the Best Man and Matron of Honour. Even with only a furtive eye and lock of black hair showing around the trunk Severus knew Dumbledore was aware of his presence. _How does he do it? How does he know I'm always there?_ It wasn't a look of disappointment Albus shot at him but a wary look, filled with concern for James and Lily.

_Stay away_ it said _None of this belongs to you._

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**Author's note:** **Kelly** – you'd really buy books if I wrote them? Aw shucks. Tell you what, I'd send you a few signed copies cause you keep reviewing this. That is when I write a book. Hmmm. I don't think publishers would like me – my original stuff is too depressing or weird or too soap opera-ish (the horror). I'll always write though even if I never endeavour for it to be published.


	19. Of Lust and Dragons

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**PATH to DARKNESS** by Tyde

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**_Chapter Nineteen – Of Lust and Dragons_**

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A few years passed and Snape found he was concerning himself less with revenge on James and more with Voldemort's ultimate plan for world domination. It was hard not to scoff and giggle when he said WORLD DOMINATION but he was deadly serious, not one of those silly Muggle cartoon villains that was going to be captured 12 minutes in and put in a loony bin. It had taken longer tan he thought but now Voldemort had at least one Death Eater in every corner of the world. Snape had been paired with someone from the Northern Europe sector to train him. Igor Karkaroff he sensed was only in it for the boost of power the Dark Lord promised them all. Hundreds had fallen for it and Gryffindors and Slytherins alike from themselves fighting side by side for the greater evil. Voldemort was quick to guard himself as well as his followers and saw to it that each dedicated Death Eater only knew three to five others. If they stumbled upon more he either wiped their memories or killed them. It wasn't just good people that he'd reserve his wand for. Goyle had once mistakenly (and drunkenly) revealed a Death Eater safe house to an Auror when he was down the Three Broomsticks playing a few rounds of Gobstones. This lead to the late night capture of Antonin Dolohov (one of Voldemort's closest and higher level followers) and the Aurors having the upper hand on quite a few other suspects. Voldemort ordered Snape to dispatch of Nicholas Goyle quickly and efficiently. Nick was begging for Snape to let him live, not for himself, but for the unborn child his wife was carrying even as the green light from the death curse shot towards him. His expression showed one of sorrow mixed with pity which Severus quickly manipulated to show pure terror. His Lord liked it better that way, to know they'd been filled with horror in the seconds before they were put out of their misery by one of his devoted few.

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She'd been doodling on a piece of parchment with a blood-red ink-filled quill. An empty flagon of wine and a half filled glass sat next to the ink bottle. The female Death Eater could almost hear the screams issuing from the mouths of the victims she drew and indeed had killed only days before. Lucius had warned her about leaving such matter lying around – people would start to become suspicious. 'It doesn't do well to make it obvious my dear' he said the evening he'd proposed to her. She'd just tossed her blonde mane and promised she'd hide them so well even Alastor Moody wouldn't find it. She heard the door creak open but she didn't look up, too consumed in her drink and picture. A masked Death Eater strolled through the doorway towards Narcissa.

'It's the night before our wedding love, we're not supposed to see each other' she looked up from a glass of Elderberry wine and her mouth opened in surprise. 'You had to work tonight?' He shook his head and her wine dulled brain comprehended 'Of course, not supposed to see each other so you masked up. Smart one Luc. You know I've never realised until now how very naughty that mask is. Come over here.' He strode towards her as she stood up and captured her in a bear hug. Stroking her long white blonde hair he sighed with contentment. Her blue eyes enquired of him and he stared back at her intently with his charcoal infused ones. A slight wave of confusion washed over her, Lucius Malfoy's eyes were blue.

'Your eyes love, they're...' realisation dawned on her, she'd known those eyes once, very intimately. 'Sev?'

Pulling her closer to him, his wand pressed into her stomach and he whispered 'Imperio' into her neck as she started to tense up. Immediately she relaxed and as he willed it she soon began to respond.

'Oh Sev, darling. It's been too long. Can you forgive me? Lucius was nothing but a play thing, something to keep me amused until you came back' as she spoke she slowly removed his mask and it dropped to the floor. She deposited little kisses all over his ivory skin and he closed his eyes to drink in her desire. It didn't occur to him the wrong he was doing.

'Oh Narcie. I've missed this...you.' He pushed her backwards onto the bed and slowly began removing her corset with one hand while the other kept the wand firmly pressed into her stomach. But as he flung the corset aside he realised he'd dropped his wand and her deep blue eyes were looking at him in confusion. 'Snape? What are you doing here?' she looked down at herself and suddenly realised she was naked from the waist up. Slowly the cloud lifted and she knew how it was that she was in this situation. Covering herself up with the blanket off the bed she watched as he slowly backed away and bent to pick up his wand.

'_Accio_ wand!' Severus's wand zoomed into her hand before he had a chance to close his fingers around it. 'What are you doing Severus? Trying to control me?' she wasn't angry, but hurt and puzzled and a little drunk. 'I'm getting married tomorrow – what's this all about? You know you missed the boat on this one. I'm Malfoy's now'

'I didn't have a very good day' it sounded so lame the moment it came out of his mouth. 'Everything was going wrong and I needed comfort, I used to feel that with you Narc.' To his embarrassment tears starting spilling over his cheeks and dripping to the floor. 'I thought if I saw you again, if we were together just once more, maybe you'd make it all okay.'

Her heart ached for him. Narcissa had never seen him so utterly devastated and she thought back to the times they had had, it had never been about emotion, it had been raw animal need. She gestured for him to come sit with her on the bed and she pulled him into a secure embrace that could only have been achieved by a one-time lover. His tears trickled down her bare back and she felt their warmth as it sent tingles up her spine. Narcissa cooed soothingly to him and he felt her hands making circles over his sobbing torso. Before either of them knew what was happening their mouths were locked in passion and the blanket that had been wrapped around the blonde woman was carelessly discarded on the floor.

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_Always did fall for a sob story, didn't you?_

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It was sometime in the early morning when he rose from her bed. Moonlight filtered in through a window and shone off his naked body. She stirred and watched him reach for his robes. Then she noticed something new she'd never seen before in all their years of dallying around. A fiery red dragon with glittering eyes like emeralds twined itself around his right upper arm. It wasn't a wizard tattoo like the Dark Mark, this was a Muggle tattoo and there was no doubt he'd had it crafted by a true artist. The way it had been engraved into his skin made it look like it was alive, lying in wait for it's prey while still maintaining a certain innocence. And then as suddenly as it appeared it was gone as Severus pulled his robes up over his shoulders and gathered his cloak around him. The full realisation of what they had done hit her at this time.

'Severus...um. I'd really appreciate it if you didn't tell anyone about this.'

'About what?' he subtly waved his wand in her direction whilst whispering _'Obliviate_'.

Her eyelids fluttered for a second and she looked at him quizzically.

'Snape? I didn't hear you come in. Why are you here?'

'Just wanted to give you all my best wishes for your big day. Lucius is a great chap – you're perfect together' He bent to kiss her hand. 'See you at the wedding'.

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She'd barely returned from the hospital with the baby Draco when Lucius launched right into her. 'It had to have come from your side of the family, Narcissa. For ten generations the Malfoys have not only commanded respect in the wizarding community they have also had blonde hair. No exceptions!' He looked in disgust at their son Draco's dark mop of hair.

'Ten generations? Please Lucius, your grandmother dyes her hair. She told me so just before our son was born so I wouldn't be surprised if he turned out different. I don't know why you're making such a big deal anyway – you can fix it easy enough!'

He just glared at her. 'Of course I know. _Exalbesco_' he flicked his wand at Draco's head where the crop of dark hair fell out and white hairs sprouted all over his scalp. 'An easy fix. Are there any other surprises I ought to know? Next you'll be revealing your father was a Muggle and your family history is riddled with Mudbloods' He narrowly avoided the paralysing hex she threw at him.

'Wash your mouth out Lucius Malfoy. Never insinuate my family are Mudbloods or I'll have your balls on a plate. Don't think I won't!' Her glare was piercing and her chest was heaving.

'Merlin you're sexy when you're angry' His lips descended upon hers as the baby gabbled happily in his crib playing with a set of Muggle knuckles his father had bought from Knockturn Alley as a welcome home gift. As Draco squeezed the knuckles in his tiny fists they started to glow.

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**Author's note: CrinkleCutRuffles** – Drastic? Snape? No, hehe. You'll just have to wait and find out. Oh and I had a lovely holiday thanks – I went to Great Keppel Island which is off the coast of northern Queensland (Australia). Sun, surf and too many cocktails. It was great! 

**To join update list – go here - http://tyd.diaryland.com/notifylist.html**


	20. Bubble Bubble

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**PATH to DARKNESS** by Tyde

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**_Chapter Twenty – Bubble Bubble_**

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_James_

_As I've told Cornelius time and time again I simply don't wish to join the Ministry. I feel the best way to spend my time is with the future of the wizarding world here at Hogwarts. I have never been one to follow all the rules (no doubt the students would be appalled to find this out) and the Ministry would simply stifle me._

_I know you have great faith in the Ministry but I really think your time could be better spent with the Order of the Phoenix – we don't mean to put ourselves above the law but it always seems to happen that way. If the Ministry can ever hope to eradicate Voldemort and his supporters they must pull out their finger. I know you'll forgive my crassness James, I believe too much time spent with you has brought it out of me!_

_Do think about leaving the Ministry and getting out into the field, do you and Lily really want Harry to have to grow up in a world like this. Where you are constantly looking behind you, dreading coming home from work with the Dark Mark glittering above your house? The Ministry is rife with spies; I don't think it well that you stay around too much longer, your lives could be in danger. Please consider this seriously James as I think of you and Lily as the children I sadly could never have._

_Yours in Merlin_

_Albus_

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'How is it coming along?' Voldemort's eyes narrowed over the bubbling liquid of the cauldron. His impatience was apparent.

'Better than expected master, although transferring a curse into liquid form is by far one of the hardest things to do in magic.'

'I have faith in you Snape – you're the most skilled apothecary I have ever had the fortune to meet. If you need anything Green will be happy to assist.' Severus's gaze fell on a boy that looked to be no older than sixteen sitting in a corner of the room. He had the dazed look of one under the Imperius curse and every now and then would mutter unintelligible things at his knees. Snape returned to his concoctions, picking up the pestle containing the crushed snake fangs and shook it into the cauldron. The liquid emitted a few sparks, turned a sick shade of green and then settled down again. He opened the canister labelled Lethe's Bramble and discovered to his chagrin it was empty.

'Blast. GREEN! Can you Apparate?' The boy's head bobbed up and down slowly as if underwater.

'Good, go to the Apothecary in Diagon Alley and get me a bushel of Lethe's Bramble. Gringotts vault 484 is where you'll get the money' The boy's movements were slow and irked Severus. 'HURRY!' he snapped. Green disappeared slowly, as if molecule by molecule and Snape sighed to himself. The first dose of the new and improved potion was highly effective, too much so. He'd put too much of the mind altering herb in the mix and it caused the test subject to become painstakingly slow. _Just one bud from the stalk ought to do it_ he murmured to himself _Not two whole stalks like I added the first time._

Voldemort had started to run out of volunteering supporters for his world domination plans. Many were entranced by the idea but too afraid of Azkaban to make a full commitment. He therefore had two full time Imperious Curse specialists (Mulciber and Brinch) bending them to his will day and night but this was beginning to prove tiresome. There were far more important people to be killing and torturing in his opinion, plus many of them were strong willed and would start to fight the curse. He wanted a better way, so he told Snape to start developing a liquid form of the curse that could be slipping into someone's drink without them knowing it. It had to be tasteless and odourless of course which was why it was proving so difficult to get the right combinations. It had taken Severus the good part of nine months (in which the Potters and the Malfoys had both had a son) to get anything remotely close to the curse. The first lot had blown up a series of toads. The second had caused the lab rats to run around psychotically biting one another (Voldemort told Snape to record the ingredients and file it away for future use) and countless others had severed limbs and shrunken heads. He'd almost cheered out aloud in a very Gryffindor way when the first dosage tested on the boy had worked, albeit too strongly. The tweaking process of the last week had proven promising and he thought by the end of the month he'd be able to bottle it for the Dark Lord and keep a storehouse.

If only his parents could see where his potion prowess had led him. He told them he worked for the Department of Mysteries and that was an Unspeakable. Perfect cover really as Unspeakables weren't allowed to discuss anything they did, or the people they worked with.

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There was something odd about Harry James Potter. Lily couldn't quite put her finger on it. He was a good baby, didn't tend to cry very often and seemed to have a wisdom beyond his years shining in his eyes. Narcissa's son Draco (silly name really, why would you lump your child with such a name?) cried a lot of the time and was constantly sticking things in his mouth that didn't belong, for instance his father's wand. Lucius was at his wits end with the child and berated him from birth. James however was delighted with Harry, even when Harry took a liking to pulling James's nose whenever he came near. Several other of their school mates had had children around the same time and Lily cut back her Auror duties to two days a week when she would leave Harry with Neville Longbottom and Dean Thomas at Arabella Figg's place. Bella loved looking after the boys and thought of them as her own.

Lily shuffled through the case files on her desk as Harry cooed in a crib nearby. Arthur Weasley from the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts division had made an interesting discovery. As he was always intrigued with Muggles and Muggle practises he'd fallen upon an interesting way of investigation that the Muggle 'pleasemen' undertook. It seems fingerprints were unique and nobody had any alike. This of course would not be appropriate in the wizarding world where one could change something like that as easy as they change their underwear but he was proposing the idea that it could spill over into something else. For instance the Dark Marks that shone in the sky after Voldemort or his followers made a kill were all basically the same shape and size but Arthur had noticed tiny differences, like a wider snake or slightly larger nostril cavities from mark to mark. It was quite possible that each Death Eater's Dark Mark was as individual to them as their fingerprints and could not be altered. Just like the casing of a bullet when fired is marked a certain way by the gun that isn't the same as any other gun. Arthur found these 'metal wands' as he called them quite terrifying and had ceased his study on Muggle murder weapons. Lily wondered if it was true as she spread out the photographic evidence all over the desk top. There were certainly a few marked differences that was for sure. Some shined darker than others and some had vague eyeballs appearing in the seemingly empty sockets. She noticed the first recorded Dark Mark (the killing of Hortense Hamilton) had a more sinister look than the others. There seemed to be a sneer on the face of the skull which would seem impossible but there it was. The snake hissed lazily from side to side as she studied the photo under a microscope. 

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**Author's note:** I don't actually have anything to say here (cause, well, nobody has reviewed or anything) but I always put an author's note at the end. Oh and as always I'll plug the notify list – go here** - http://tyd.diaryland.com/notifylist.html. **I give this maybe 6 more chapters before it's finished. Originally I didn't even think it would make it past 13 chapters!


	21. Awakening

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**PATH to DARKNESS** by Tyde

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**_Chapter Twenty One – Awakening_**

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His master had called him for a special meeting the following day. _Just you and me_ the parchment had read. _Nothing to worry about, just a follow up for the last few missions. Making sure you still know what it is we are fighting for_. Severus had sent his reply immediately by owl confirming his attendance. There was something odd about the scripting in his master's letter, like it was written with a forced hand, as if the author was trying hard to contain something that would surely spill out onto the parchment. He Apparated out at the prearranged time to a cave in Emerson Woods, just metres from where Severus's first kill had been. He looked at the ground triumphantly expecting to see the blood of Hortense still decorating the landscape. A voice addressed him from behind 'You and Lucius' Voldemort's cold fingers wrapped themselves around his shoulders. 'You two are like the sons I never had. You respect your father and you do his bidding as is to be expected but mark my words...when a son betrays his father it is a grave matter indeed and it is not wont to show lenience in this matter...no matter how much you may love them. So I ask you this Severus, as my son, would you ever betray me?

'No father, my Lord. I could never betray you. How could one betray someone that they are indebted to, that has showed them so much? I would rather die than to double cross you.'

'And die you shall if and when you cross that line.'

'My Lord, I don't...'

'SILENCE!' he roared. 'You are human Snape and once in a while they will stray from the path they are on and dally in other pastures. When you do that my wand will find you quicker than a Niffler finds a nugget of gold. It will be quick and painless for I know this world is not fair to a young mind like yours. Too many options, too much to see.'

Sev just nodded his head numbly. He knew Voldemort was lying. Of the Death Eater deaths he'd witnessed the Dark Lord had shown no mercy and tortured them endlessly and left them shrieking and gasping in pain before finishing them off. Snape wondered if this was the same talk he'd had with Malfoy earlier that had left the blond man shaking.

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He found himself walking along a beach, not a beach in England, it was a tropical beach with real sand and gently lapping waves. The sun warmed him as he strolled along in his black robes. A slight movement on the sand caught his eye and he looked over. There lying on a bed of roses on the sand was Lily. Her auburn hair framed her face and her green eyes shone at him, he felt warmth spread through the tattoo on his arm, the tattoo he'd gotten to remind him of her. She was unpredictable like a dragon. But now Lily was smiling sweetly at him, beckoning with her eyes for him to come closer. Severus's feet sank gently in the sand with each step as he approached her. Sweat broke out on his forehead as he struggled to get any closer to her. It had seemed but a few metres but on he trudged for what seemed an eternity. Her eyes sparkled at him like emeralds as his laboured breathing reached her only a few steps away. Taking the last few steps towards her his legs were suddenly sucked down into the sand and he was soon waist deep and unable to move. His brow wrinkled and he tried to reach out to her when he noticed something happening to her. The bed of roses had turned into a mattress of thorns. The brambles twined themselves around her limbs and body and dug cruelly into her white flesh while the thick red blood flowed freely. She screamed out for Severus to help but he found himself frozen with fear, arms pinned to his sides, unable to even reach for his wand. Her voice chased itself away into the fading sunset meeting no one's ears but her own. A thorn bit into her neck right at the jugular and she cried tears of blood as the pain wracked her body. A flash of bright green light accompanied by a loud crackle announced the arrival of Lord Voldemort. Turning to Severus he smiled maliciously as he rose his wand above her rigid frame and let forth a stream of green light and the finality of death. As she lay there covered in thorns and blood Voldemort's voice bumped along with the wind. _I hold the very power of death in my hands and you as my follower will share a little of my glory when we bring them all to their knees_.

He woke with his sheets twisted around him and sweat trickling from his brow. The fire had gone out in the grate and the room was chilly. The words spoken by his Lord rang in his head and try as he might he couldn't shake them out. _It was only a dream after all, don't be ridiculous. He gave you his word, you're one of his, you're not a simpering Mudblood or a pathetic Muggle, you're Severus Snape a pureblood and one that will help the Dark Lord conquer this earth._

'Then why is it that I feel so alone?' He demanded of the cold air around him. 'Why do I feel like everything I've ever held near and dear is falling apart? Why can't I feel the heated passion of hatred coursing through my veins? Have I become soft?' The truth was hard to face for a man that had grown up on hatred and it stung him now more than he ever thought possible.

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Voldemort's snake like eyes settled on his follower and Severus felt a familiar cold feeling settling in his stomach. He wished at that moment that he'd kept his mouth shut and not opened it at all. _Damn that dream, get it into your thick skull you idiot, it wasn't real. _'Do not question my authority Snape. That would be your first and last mistake. Potter will be dealt with when I see fit. It's not his time now but it will be and soon.'

'And Lily will be spared' he allowed a brief show of hope to cross his eyes which the Dark Lord duly noted.

He smirked. 'Yes, if you keep your end of the bargain. Turn her'

'I will my Lord. She will become one of your followers – you have my word'

'Excellent. Now go...I believe you have a chess date with Delabore tonight. Make a killing won't you?' his crackle of laughter echoed down the hall as Severus closed the door behind him and headed out. Halfway down the corridor he realised he'd left his cloak slung over the back of a chair and headed back to the room. Stopping at the door with his hand poised to knock he heard Voldemort and Malfoy discussing something in earnest.

'Don't be ridiculous Lucius' Voldemort hissed 'Of course she will be eliminated. Filthy Mudblood like her deserves to join the rest of them in their graves. He says he's loyal but she keeps a part of him from me. Once Lily Potter dies Severus Snape's loyalty will be mine for the taking. Can't have his mind belonging to one place and his heart to another. She dies along with Potter and the child. Especially the child.' A low growl emanated from the dark wizard.

A wave of cold washed over Snape and seemed to settle itself in his stomach. He was going to kill her anyway. After all his words it meant nothing. Without even realising it Snape had Apparated out of Voldemort's hideout and was now standing in the middle of a snow-covered street. Odd snowflakes floated down here and there from the blackened sky, slowly covering his shivering body and he remembered he'd forgotten to get his cloak. His eyes swept around and took in the entrance to the Three Broomsticks and Zonko's. _Hogsmeade of course_. He'd sent himself unconsciously as close to Dumbledore as he could get. Although Voldemort never admitted it to Snape he knew Dumbledore was the only wizard alive that terrified him. When people mentioned his name he flinched. Not a grossly noticeable flinch, but a flinch none the less. Voldemort never flinched.

He walked through the menacing front gates and straight up the stairs to the great oak front door. Snape pressed the crossbar on the H of the Hogwarts crest engraved into the door and waited. Severus knew it was a mystical doorbell that went straight to Albus's quarters, he was therefore surprised to be admitted to the castle a few minutes later by a frazzled looking Minerva McGonagall. Her normally severe bun had become loose and tendrils dropped from their prison and hung about her face haphazardly.

'He's in his office, follow me' was all she said to him. He followed her through the old familiar halls and behind the statue that now would only move for 'Lollipop'. He was ushered into Dumbledore's office which now gave him a sense of security instead of an overwhelming feeling of foreboding.

'Please take a seat Professor Snape. Can Jippy get you something to drink?' A house elf stood nearby very proud to be given such an honour.

'No thanks Jippy. Sir I...' realisation dawned on him. 'Did you say Professor?'

'Yes. I assume you came all the way here to accept the position of potions master in person? It's been a fair few years but none of the current teachers have stayed very long. Something to do with exploding cauldrons. That young Bill Weasley can be quite a devil if left to his own devices' Dumbledore's eyes twinkled in the lamp light and Snape sensed he already knew why he was there.

'No sir, it's not that at all it's...' he trailed off not quite sure how to broach the subject.

'The Potter's are in grave peril? On the top of Voldemort's list no doubt?' The headmaster's look pierced him and he felt he was back in school again being reprimanded. He also noted that Albus said Voldemort and not He Who Must Not Be Named. He was the only non Death Eater he'd heard use the name but it really shouldn't have surprised him that much. It stood to reason that Dumbledore would not be afraid of Voldemort if the Dark Lord was terrified of him. The question of how Dumbledore knew this didn't even reach his lips before the old wizard spoke.

'Despite what Voldemort and the others think Severus we aren't totally cut off from the world here. Besides, I can see it in your eyes. Your eyes are filled with sorrow for Lily, although they hold none for James or the child. Did you think after all these years you could hide that from me? Voldemort is scared of me for one reason. Only I know his weakness and though I am an old man he cannot match my wit nor my cunning. When does he plan to kill them?' He said it offhand like he was commenting on the weather. Snape wondered why the wizened old wizard had instantly trusted him and not thrown him straight to the Dementors the moment he'd stepped foot in the castle.

The question was on the tip of his tongue and he knew it had to be asked 'How is it that you can trust me?'

'The true, loyal Death Eater Snape would not have set foot in my castle as his master would have instilled the fear of me in him. But he knows there is still a small part of you that he can't touch and by taking Lily away he hopes to capture the final piece. He doesn't comprehend that by doing this he's lost you. This is your second chance Severus. The only way to redeem yourself is to go back to Voldemort as if nothing has happened but you will answer to me. Myself and the Order of the Phoenix'

Snape's mouth opened in surprise and he reprimanded himself instantly. _Of course it would be Dumbledore. No one else could hope to down Voldemort and the Order of the Phoenix was making good inroads to that. _It was that and the fact that Dumbledore was the only wizard in Britain with a phoenix.

---------------------

It was an ordinary day. He had gone to Diagon Alley to get some ingredients – Dumbledore said it was important he start working on an antidote for the Imperio Potion he'd made for Voldemort. _It would be so much easier if I could bring the instructions with me, but I can't take them out of the vault. They are under magical lock and key and trying to retrieve them would only garner unwanted interest. Blast this starting all over again, it'll take years. _He was so lost in his thoughts that he almost didn't see her. Then on a chance he looked up and sitting on a chair outside Florean's with an ice cream sundae on the table in front of her was Lily Potter. It was a hot enough day for it and he'd actually been heading that way himself, unconsciously. He wanted to run up to her, fling his arms around her slender shoulders and sob into her auburn hair.

_You brought me back from the dark side Lily! Dumbledore thought I was too far gone beyond the bounds of good and evil but you, you with those eyes and your smile, you brought me back from the brink. If it wasn't for you I'd still be consumed by the darkness, still wound up in Voldemort's ideals. You're everything to me._

Millions of thoughts rushed through his head but when it came down to it all he said was 'Hello'

Her eyes flickered with surprise at the sight of him 'Severus?' he noticed her grip tighten on an infant Harry squirming in her arms to get away from this stranger. _Could the child know? It was impossible, nobody knew, save Dumbledore. He's only a child, he couldn't know_. He knew she was dying to roll up his sleeve, to see if the mark was as clear as it had been the first time she saw it in seventh year but her hands didn't move. There were whispers about Death Eaters everywhere and Lily knew what Severus was. She hadn't known at the time what that mark was, but she sure as hell knew now. _If only Dumbledore had told her, if only the members of the Order of the Phoenix knew I was on their side now, she wouldn't be so frightened, but I can't tell._

'Yeah. Thought I'd just pop by and congratulate you on Harry. Almost a year old already. Time flies doesn't it?' he was talking more to the ground than her face, his shoulders slumped, and some of his words whipped away with the wind. Suddenly without warning he Disapparated with a loud pop. Lily Potter looked at the space that had been occupied by Severus Snape only moments before. Her brow wrinkled as she remembered the way he'd spoken to her. It was just like back in first year, a time that seemed eons ago. A time when the thought of him didn't fill her with fear.

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**Author's note:** Review? It's that little button just below here and off to the left. Please, dude, I need it man, just another hit of review – you can't leave me hanging. I'll pay good chapters for just one hit. *sigh*


	22. Coercion

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**PATH to DARKNESS** by Tyde

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**_Chapter Twenty Two – Coercion_**

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Snape had been teaching at Hogwarts for just two weeks before his fellow Death Eaters decided to visit one weekend. Voldemort had not been happy about Severus taking the position of Potions master but after he explained that it was about having a spy on the inside did Voldemort relent. Dumbledore and his Order were thwarting the Dark Lord's plans slowly and steadily and if Snape could wedge himself in there and perhaps sabotage some of it then maybe the gamble would pay off after all. They sat around drinking shots of Firewhiskey in a dark corner of the Three Broomsticks whilst Madam Rosemerta chatted to them as she mopped up a spilled drink on the floor.

'Amazing lot your year turned out to be boys. Aurors, ministers, some of them even opened up a shop down the road. Making a fair bit of business too'

Malfoy looked at her coldly. 'We came for the drinks, not the prattle – bugger off Rosie.' She looked highly insulted but knew not to push her luck with this lot. There was a sinister air about them. She gathered her mop and bucket and headed back to the register.

'So what's the situation with you Snape?' Chris Crabbe hadn't changed since school, he still spoke slowly and still sounded like he'd by-passed the counter giving out brains when he was born.

Severus's head shot up from his glass. 'What do you mean?' He'd been thinking about the Order of the Phoenix and was wondering if they could hear his thoughts.

'Birds Sev, you ain't got one. Nothing catch your eye here?' Crabbe gestured around the bar at all the twittering girls sipping their Butterbeers and Elderberry wine coolers through a straw.

Lucius's drawl broke through the cacophony. 'Not likely Crabbe. He's into a classier type of _bird_'' he said the word like it was a cockroach that had just chosen to swim in his drink 'than the likes of these. He's an ice maiden type, the queen bitch, the wildest in the bunch'. Snape crammed some crisps into his mouth so it wouldn't betray the uncomfortable feeling that was creeping up on him with every word Malfoy uttered. 'Likes them tall and blonde, like Narc. Am I right Snape?' Severus tried to swallow the crisps and in the end had to wash them down with another drink when they became lodged in his throat.

'Back in the day Malfoy, back in the day. Of course she had to go and marry that Slytherin git, what was his name, Muffy or something? Totally changed my opinion of her then' The Death Eaters roared with laughter at this admission while Lucius just glared at Snape.

'Heard you've been fancying them innocent now, just like you did at school, something along the lines of a Potter' Malfoy's sneers were legendary.

'What, James?' Crabbe asked stupidly.

'No Lily, you twat! I'm right aren't I, Sev? She tickles your ivory doesn't she?' His cold eyes locked themselves on the potions master and Severus almost squirmed under his gaze. Snape knew what he'd really like to do and say in response to that comment but if he did his cover would be blown as a double agent for Dumbledore and Rosemerta would be cleaning his innards off the pub floor for weeks. He smiled instead.

'Haven't you ever fantasised about turning a good girl bad Lucius? Those fluttering eyelashes and those _Oh but Sevi I couldn't, it's naughty!_ remarks. But alas now I find it is too hard' his comment was interrupted by boyish giggling from Crabbe and Macnair 'and I give up on Lily Potter. Don't know why I even tried in the first place, silly, I just think it was the challenge, you know. I mean she is a Mudblood after all – imagine that?!'

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Every time Snape walked into Voldemort's latest hideout he couldn't put aside the feeling that he was walking into a pit of vipers. Sure Nagini was always circling around but it was the people more than the actual snake that instilled the fear in him. His fear stemmed not from a notion of losing being killed, but being killed before he had the chance to do some good, to fix the wrongs that he had done. Those that he could fix anyway. After the show he'd put on at the Three Broomsticks he felt it was time he planted the seeds of it in Voldemort's brain, get his master thinking he was definitely on the straight and narrow, as it were. The Dark Lord looked at his follower sharply as Severus opened his mouth.

'A revelation of sorts my Lord. She'll never join us. Kill her. I can't believe that simpering little Mudblood ever thought she could have a hold of my heart. I ought to shower for years just to get the stench of her off my skin and out of my hair. How dare she spread her filth to me?' Snape's tone didn't belie the fact that his insides were squirming in protest to his besmirching of Lily's character.

'Took you a while to wake up' was all Voldemort said coldly to his offsider.

'Can you ever forgive me my Lord?' Snape kneeled on the ground in front of Voldemort, his head bowed in respect.

'In due time and provided you become as ruthless as you once were. You've softened lately Snape – I don't like it.'

Severus lifted his head so that his cold charcoal eyes would meet with Voldemort's dangerous red ones. 'What would you have me do to rectify myself in your glorious shadow sir? Kill the Potters – consider it done, I would think of no greater pleasure nor honour to off them for you'

'No. The Potters are mine, I have my spies in their closest circle and when it comes the time I will take them myself. You would not deny me such a pleasure now Snape. You have after all but a sliver of my greatness' as his snake like eyes turned towards his follower Snape found his skin crawling like there were a dozen bugs underneath it. The Dark Lord ordered one of his minions to bring them something to drink. He filled two goblets full of the sparkling wine and pushed one into Snape's hands. Raising his own to his mouth he took a long satisfying drink. His eyes flicked to Snape and he motioned at the goblet that had not been touched by the potions master. 'Drink to your victories Severus' The Dark Lord's red eyes pierced him with a look that said 'Refuse and die'.

Snape raised the goblet to his lips, drinking deeply and as he swallowed the last gulp a familiar tingling filled his mouth. _Imperio potion_ he sighed to himself. Voldemort sensed something was up, he didn't really trust him anymore, perhaps he knew his loyalties lay elsewhere.

The Dark Lord smiled at him like you might smile at an insect squashed under you shoe. 'Feeling better now?'

'You're using my own potions against me' Snape struggled to get the words out as a cloudiness filled his brain and he found himself soon unable to say anything but 'Yes master' and 'As you wish'. It was in this state that Voldemort dispatched Severus on a mission to dispose of James Potter's parents.

'You're my star hit wizard Severus, I can't have you going soft now, do you agree?'

'Yes master' it was an almost zombie-like representation of Snape that Apparated out to Harold and Dulcie Potter's residence. Voldemort had used the stronger dosage, it would last for weeks. Snape would never forget their screams and they would haunt him in his dreams once the Dark Lord fell, just like Hortense's did now.

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Dropping a fair amount of floo in the fireplace Lily and James stepped in the flames with Harry and gave the fire directions. It was only a matter of minutes before they were deposited in the fireplace of James's parents. The fire was almost dying and James looked at it confused. 'Mum and Dad always have a fire going, day and night, winter or summer, just in case we pop in. I wonder where they are?' His eyes scanned the lounge room but his parents were nowhere to be seen.

'I'll check the kitchen' said Lily and she settled Harry into a bouncer by the fire. A flick of her wand added fuel to the fire and the flames flared up once again. James headed up the stairs towards their bedroom thinking maybe they'd taken a nap before dinner time. It was odd for his parents not to be sitting in the lounge room at 6pm on a Sunday evening, when James and Lily always came for tea. He trudged up the stairs and to his puzzlement did not find them there either. Lily's inspection of the kitchen and laundry also turned up nothing. 'Maybe they went for a walk?' Lily suggested.

'Quite possible, it's a lovely evening out and there is that little pond down the pathway behind the house that would be nice to sit around with the stars out.' He picked Harry up (who started to whimper a little) and headed out the back door. The surroundings were coloured a misty green instead of the usual inky blue of dusk. It was as if the moon had turned green and the moonlight shimmered in a green shade accordingly. Lily knew that green glow and she knew that the dark shapes lying by the garden shed were undoubtedly James's parents. She raised her head reluctantly skywards and the skull shone there, sneering at them, with a hissing snake protruding like a tongue from it's haunting mouth. She heard the scream of pain from James as he ran towards the bodies, falling on the ground nearby and sobbing over them, Harry clutched to his chest. Goosebumps crawled all over her skin and it wasn't from the cold, it was from a strange sense of foreboding – He Who Must Not Be Named was killing off those they held near and dear. Harry was crying now, loudly, and she numbly walked towards her grieving husband, taking their child from his grasp. 'James' her voice sounded odd in these surroundings, like it didn't belong.

'My parents Lily, how could he take my parents?' He hadn't bothered to take off his glasses and they were splashed with tears that were still steadily running down his cheeks.

'He's a cold, calculating bastard James. There are no reasons to him. He just does what he wants' She rocked her son and husband in her arms for what seemed forever. James's heart felt like it had been ripped out of his chest. His insides turned to ice as he realised it was You Know Who's way of getting at them so they'd be off guard. He grabbed a shovel from the shed and started digging graves for his parents.

'Darling, what are you doing?'

'Burying them. Get inside Lily, take Harry with you. I didn't believe Dumbledore before when he said You Know Who was after us. I didn't think we were important enough, but that's just it isn't it? He'll take everything and everyone, and he'll do it while you're at your most vulnerable, so you feel the pain of a thousand tortures. We have to get away. We're not safe here anymore, we're not safe anywhere'.

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A scruffy looking James and Lily Potter showed up at Hogwarts that evening with a sleeping Harry in a basket. They desperately needed Dumbledore's help. Some old magic perhaps? Magic that books and most people had forgotten about, something that could keep Harry safe from the clutches of the evil lord. He was ready to help of course, however he resisted calling in the rest of the members of the Order of Phoenix to set about devising a plan of concealment. Several small facts, very small but nonetheless significant, had escaped their secret meetings of late and Dumbledore smelled a fox amongst the chickens. He just didn't know which feathered friend was hiding a coat of fur and he didn't want to chance the lives of the Potters on it.

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**Author's note:** Thank you very much to **Big Blank Space No Name** person who asked me to 'Continue please.' You dragged me out of a depressing time and couldn't have made me happier. Continue I will do! Can't leave it just hanging in the balance. It'll go up until Harry's first day at Hogwarts, that's when it will end. I think there is probably about four chapters to go, unless I go in-depth with the Death Eater trials, which I'm considering.

Another old school friend moved in to the house last night and she's a storywriter as well and she's offered to proofread this for me. Which is just as well cause I get too excited to proofread a chapter once I've finished writing it, I just want to put it out there.


	23. Fidel Me This

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**PATH to DARKNESS** by Tyde

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**_Chapter Twenty Three – Fidel Me This_**

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He was pacing in his office which usually meant he was under pressure but it never showed on his face. Albus Dumbledore had the uncanny ability to make others feel at home even while their lives were in grave peril. The Potters found it particularly comforting. He'd had some people on the case to find a spell to protect them and it looked to be their best option yet. 'It's called the Fidelius charm. It contains a secret within a living being, within their soul. Unless they freely tell someone the secret it will be kept forever. We could use the Fidelius charm on your location, a trusted friend could hold the secret for you. That way Voldemort will not be able to locate you. It's worth a try.' Dumbledore noticed Lily slowly nodding her head with a thoughtful look on her face, charms had never failed her before and they couldn't go on forever existing under James's invisibility cloak.

'Sirius' the junior minister said without hesitation. 'Sirius is the only one I feel I can trust with something as important as this. He's been there since the beginning. Do you agree Lily?'

'Yes. If You Know Who and his supporters try to torture it out of him, he won't fold. He's ferocious when cornered. I'd like to see them try'

'Very well. This is ancient magic, something stronger than contemporary enchantments, you'll need as my sources tell me Voldemort has also invoked ancient magicks. May I suggest that to-' Lily interrupted Dumbledore before he could go any further.

'Albus, who is your source? You speak of them often but you've never told us who it is'

'Lily, think about what you are saying. This person has put themselves in grave peril to become a double agent for me. If I were to breathe a word of their identity it could endanger their lives. I'm sure you and James of all people would understand that'

'Of course' she felt ashamed for even asking. 'I suppose I wasn't thinking, I just, I suppose I wanted to thank them, for risking their lives to bring about the fall of the Dark Lord. Are you positive they are loyal to you?'

'Yes. They know the consequences if they try to deal double with me. I'm more deadly than anything Voldemort can throw at him. I will pass on your thanks though' _It will mean the world to him._ 'Now as I was saying, send Sirius here tomorrow and I will hand over the parchment with the incantation to him. Then you must go to your new residence and perform it there. The barrier will be instantaneously erected the moment the incantation has been completed.' His sparkling eyes looked over the young couple and their son. No matter how old James got his hair would always be wild, he could start to see the same thing happening with the wisps on Harry's head. Lily's earnest face hadn't seemed to change since her first day at Hogwarts, he'd remembered those bright green eyes shining in the candlelight of the Great Hall as she'd stepped up to Sorting Hat. Harry slept in the basket but Dumbledore knew he had those same iridescent eyes and earnest face. A lot of folks had said how much Harry looked like James but if they'd ever taken the time to really examine his face they'd see the qualities of Lily shining through. 

James handed over a package to Dumbledore and told him not to open it. It's for later was all he said. Lily stepped forward tentatively with her arms outstretched. Dumbledore leaned forward and held the ex-Head Girl in his embrace tightly. She kissed his cheek lightly and picked up Harry's basket. James also found himself in the embrace of the Headmaster and he found himself choking up a little. He looked over at Lily and saw she already had tears streaming down her cheeks.

'There, there Lily, James' Albus said kindly. 'It's not goodbye, not really. It's just 'see you soon'. The Order and I are very close to bringing down Voldemort, you know it, you've seen the parchments. We'll miss your input but you'll be back soon enough. Take care'.

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It was a grey morning just like every other morning had been that October. Snow was on the mountains but not yet in the villages. Sirius Black walked briskly down the main street of Paddlebury with a look of determination on his face. He was on his way to a seer, hopefully she would be able to advise him on some recent information he'd obtained. 'Padfoot, wait up' Peter Pettigrew jogged after his old school friend whose lengthy strides were making it harder and harder for him to catch up. 'Where are you going?'

'Down the pub. Hagrid and I are making up a four for bridge tonight with the old ladies from the bowling club' Sirius managed to keep a completely straight face.

'What?' The chubby man had caught up and was now blocking his path with a thoroughly confused look on his face.

'It was a joke you twat. None of your business Wormtail. Now get out of my way!' Pettigrew gripped his wand in his pocket and thought to himself _do I have enough courage for this?_ Yes, he was a Gryffindor, of course he did! Peter hit him with two spells at once. The first silenced Black's cry of amazement and the second was an Unforgivable. 'Come with me Padfoot' he snivelled. 'It's time you and I had a little chat'. He took a quick scan of the street to make sure no one saw them and led Sirius down a back alleyway by his forearm. They headed toward a rundown shack surrounded by the stench of rotting rubbish and cat urine. A few rats scuttled through the refuse often chased by a feral cat or two. Wormtail pushed the unlocked door open with one hand and led Black to a sofa with the other. The sofa was losing it's stuffing at parts and also had a few dubious stains down the sides.

'Where are James and Lily? Do they have Harry with them? You _will_ answer all my questions' it appeared the little rat had finally grown a pair.

The slightly glazed over eyes of Sirius Black turned towards his questioner. 'I don't know where they are but Harry is with them. They've bought a new house somewhere, but no one knows where.'

'But you're their trust friend, the one they hold above all others' Voldemort's follower pressed him.

'Yes, trusted enough that I am to be their secret-keeper'

'Secret-keeper?' the man looked bewildered.

'Fidelius charm, it's very old magic. Secret contained within a living soul. Tonight the enchantment is put in place. No one can find them unless the secret is willingly volunteered.. As soon as the charm is broken then all will know the secret' His eyes fluttered then and Wormtail could see his Imperious curse was fading as Padfoot fought it. In a panic he administered it again and Black went back to being extra helpful and as docile as a lamb.

'Tonight – where are you meeting them?'

'In Llanelli, it's a village near Swansea. James will Apparate to me and then tell me where to go from there.'

'Is their house in Wales?'

'I don't know' The question seemed to be wearing a bit thin with him and a small patch of the trademark Sirius Black hotheadedness was shining through.

Peter thought quickly. If he gave Padfoot a drop of Imperio serum he could plant the ideas in his head that he wanted. Then Voldemort would have the Potters on a platter. He returned Black to the street after performing a swift memory modification and lifted the Imperio curse. He disappeared into a pile of rotting cabbages with a squeak and all Sirius saw was a hairless tail squirming under a slug. Black stuck his wand had out and waited for the knight bus to trundle up. The conductor charged him 9 sickles for a bed and a small glass of Elderberry wine. It wouldn't take long to get to Hogwarts he was assured. Thanks to Wormtail and his memory modification spells he'd totally forgotten his appointment with the seer and continued on straight to Dumbledore. Sirius snuggled down into the comforter and thought again about James and Lily's predicament. Dumbledore was sure there was a traitor among their friends and Black certainly had his suspicions about one in particular. Remus Lupin had seemed awfully distant of late and shifty besides.

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'I have a meeting, leave' For a brief second Snape thought he saw disappointment flash in Voldemort's eyes. It didn't seem an emotion the Dark Lord would be capable of and this puzzled Sev. _Is he disappointed in me? Is he having a meeting with Malfoy or Crabbe or Karkaroff, asking one of them to kill me?_

'But my Lord, no instructions today?' Voldemort had never failed to give him orders every time he'd summoned him. This time Severus noticed not only a sliver of disappointment in the evil wizard's eyes but also a slight note of exasperation to his tone of voice.

'No. You...I don't...just consider it a holiday. Time off if you will. You're tired I'm sure. Just go' Confusion twisted itself around in Snape's mind, it was the first time he'd seen Voldemort's exterior slip to something almost human. Had the ancient magicks he'd obtained in Egypt worn off? Was he starting to doubt his own authority? Was he mortal once again? And as quickly as the barrier had gone down it shot up again and Severus found those piercing red eyes looking at him again with a stone cold intensity. 'Do I need to show you how to walk? OUT!' Snape shut the door behind him and wracked his brain to think whom it could be he was having a meeting with and why. In the dark corridor he almost tripped over Nagini as she slithered past him, a rat secured in her mouth. The rat was still alive, Severus noted, it's nose twitching a mile a minute.

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**Author's note:** I swear when I get that email from bot at fanfiction.net telling me that I have a review my heart swells up with happiness. And this time it was a new player **Colleen and fish (the fish) **giving my story review-love. Best, she used the word best! I'm gushing with pride. 

Okay that moment of self-involvement is over. Phew. Sorry bout that. I'm going into surgery tomorrow (tonsils out – how much of a child am I? HA!) so I won't be able to update until I get back to work – about the 25th of November. I may have finished the story by then...who knows.


	24. Flashes of Green

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**PATH to DARKNESS** by Tyde

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**_Chapter Twenty Four – Flashes of Green_**

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**Author's note (it's a long one):** I had a horrible feeling of self doubt last week. For the first seven days after the tonsil removal operation I had no urge to write anything. Not even an entry for my blog-like website. This scared me greatly. For a terrifying (albeit stupid) moment I thought by removing my tonsils they had removed my creatively gland. Thank goodness that by the Thursday I jumped on Mum and Dad's computer (I was staying at their place so they could look after me in my convalesing period) and started to type up a chapter or two. They still need to be honed of course but it won't be long before this story is finished! It'll feel like getting rid of an old friend, I don't want it to end but it will. I've started another one though (surprisingly has nothing to do with Snape) and when I think it's passed the test I may start putting it up. It'll be short though. Maybe five or so chapters. 

**Carasiel (Arien)** you'd publish me, really? There are so many levels to the coolness of that. Of course JK and the rest of them would sue our butts off but hey, me in print? Totally worth it. :o) Do you prefer to be called Arien? Or Goddess? Cause I just got your other review for chapter 22 and I think that's what I'll call you from now on. I almost wept with joy. 100 reviews? My brain would have an overload and pop out of my skull and start doing a little tap dance across the desk. Imagine how the fabulous **echo** must feel, she gets over 700 reviews! Phew. Okay I'm shutting up now, on with the chapter! :o)

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The Lazy Lion pub was the rondeaux-vue point that evening and Wormtail had just Apparated in. Sure enough there was his old pal Padfoot sitting with a Butterbeer before him at a little table in a booth. He seemed to be concentrating awfully on something. Was he thinking? He was thinking, something in his mind was trying to fight its way to the surface of his memories but no matter how long he sat there focussing on it, it wouldn't emerge. He was only a little shocked at seeing Wormtail there but then he remembered the man had an aunt or two in Wales and was probably visiting.

Peter sat down opposite Sirius and offered to buy him another Butterbeer as he'd just finished his. Padfoot agreed and they started to make small talk about what they'd been up to the past year or so. It had only taken a drop or two in Padfoot's butterbeer before Wormtail realised now was the time to enact the plan. 'You know Padfoot old friend, isn't it too obvious that you're going to be James and Lily's secret keeper?' He crossed his fingers hoping that the potion was still effective and hadn't gone off in the cellar.

Black narrowed his eyes slightly at this comment but answered none the less 'I would never fold to the likes of Voldemort Wormtail, you know me, I'm the hot headed stubborn bastard type, remember? Besides they could torture me for hours and still get nothing out of me. The secret has to be volunteered for the charm to be broken. Using torture and such to get the answer out of someone isn't exactly volunteering now is it?' Pettigrew twisted a napkin in his hands nervously, the potion wasn't working flawlessly yet! But then again he hadn't asked how Peter knew about the charm so it was probably working a little bit; maybe a few more drops ought to do it. Wormtail scanned the Llanelli pub for a familiar face or something that would distract Padfoot for a split second. He waved his arm in the direction of the door saying 'Hey isn't that old Puckranter over there?' whilst his other hand quickly dispensed a few more drops into Black's beverage. It was exactly the right dosage and within minutes Peter had convinced Sirius that not only would it be ingenious to have a different person be the secret keeper but that he himself would be the perfect alternative. Black swallowed these facts like he did the remainder of his drink. James came into the pub a few minutes later and an Imperio potion laden Sirius Black told him of his 'great idea' and James of course trusting his best friend took this idea on board. Sirius turned in for the night at his room above the Lazy Lion. Wormtail and Prongs headed to a field where James told him to grab a hold of the broken bottle he held which was a Portkey designed to take them to Godric's Hollow. Lily stood a few metres away from where they were to arrive with Harry in her arms and the Invisibility cloak around them. As soon as Peter and James appeared she swept them under the coat and they took the parchment with the spell details from Pettigrew and sat in a circle. For such an important and complicated charm they were surprised by the small amount of time it took to perform. As soon as the charm was in place Pettigrew noticed the members of the Potter family seemed slightly fuzzy around the edges. 'It's an effect of the spell, Dumbledore said. No one but the secret keeper can see us and then it's sort of fuzzy. Thank you Peter this means the world to us. As soon as Dumbledore stops Voldemort perhaps we will all see a little more clearly?' He quipped. Wormtail just nodded his head, his betraying eyes focused on the grass blades at their feet.

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Lord Voldemort held Wormtail by the forearm, a thumb pressed into the flesh right over the tattoo. The little man whimpered slightly but tried to keep a brave face. It was his arse on the line here and he'd do anything to not incur the wrath of the most powerful wizard in the world. Even betray his friends.

'Now you insufferable worm. You will reveal it now'

'M-m-y lord. Not yet. We have to get as close to the location as possible before I tell you. Once the charm is broken then everyone will know where the Potters live. They could get there before you and try to save them'.

'I'm getting tired of your excuses Wormtail'

'We're almost there. Okay here. Stand here' He pointed at a patch of dirt that faced a vacant field. 'The Potters live at 521 Infaust Lane, Godrics Hollow, Wales' A pale red sheen washed over the clearing and was sucked up into the darkened clouds. Before their eyes a house took form, the residence of James and Lily Potter. Voldemort looked back at his assistant.

'You leave now. Your usefulness has served you for this evening'

The former Tom Riddle pulled his hood up and ran over the game plan in his mind. Kill the boy in front of the parents and then kill them. Maximum pain, always maximum pain. He laughed quietly to himself as he charmed the lock of the front door open, marvelling at how little protection they had thought to use on the house in the case of the Fidelius Charm being broken. _Then again, _he thought evilly, _they didn't expect it to be broken. They expected Wormtail to be loyal, fools._ Voldemort strode down the hallway and seemingly hitting every creaking floor board. James went racing into the hall with his wand held high and gasped loudly as the thing of their nightmares stood in their house. He called out behind him where an askance looking Lily stood, disbelief etched on her face. 'Lily, take Harry and go! It's him! GO! Run! I'll hold him off' Lily stumbled from the room blasting the door to the hall open with her wand. She threw a look back at her husband who stood with bravely with his wand outstretched at the man that had destroyed families all over the world. He nodded at her and she went running up the stairs two at a time to reach Harry in his crib before Voldemort could. A cackle of high-pitched laughter followed her and she heard James throwing hexes at the Dark Lord. 'Out of the way, you fool. Where is the boy? Where is that hideous little baby?' James struggled with him, hitting him with hexes left and right but the Dark Lord deflected them all without even acknowledging them. It was as if they simply bounced right off him. James knew then that the rumours were true, he wasn't human anymore, Voldemort was something beyond that, and he was invincible.

Lily collected Harry into her arms and looked for an escape route. She didn't have enough time to create a Portkey and trying to Apparate with a child would surely kill him. As she looked deep into her young son's eyes she heard the scream from downstairs and felt the blast blow her forward. The energy from the blast blew the door off Harry's nursery and sent her sprawling. Voldemort had performed the killing curse and she knew her husband lay dead at the foot of the stairs. Lily could almost feel her heart break then and there but she owed it to James to try and escape from this and take Harry to safety. With the speed of nothing human the Dark Lord stood behind her and she turned slowly to face his pulled up hood and those glittering eyes.  Harry was now in his crib and she stood in front of it with her slim arms outstretched as if to protect him. Voldemort's eyes glittered at the chubby baby, this was what he had come for she could sense it.

'Not Harry, not Harry, please not Harry!'

'Stand aside you silly girl...stand aside now' He grabbed her arms to pull her away and she struggled with him but his power was too much. He pushed her away from the crib and she stood off to the side with a look of determination on her face.

'Please...have mercy. Not Harry! I'll do anything' She got back in-between Voldemort as the air around them crackled with energy and the crib and pleaded with him 'Not Harry, please no, take me, kill me instead!' The Dark Lord smiled at her and started that high-pitched cackle again. _Don't you worry about that. I'll kill you. But I did have an order to it all. You've messed up the order. No matter. _Directing his wand at her she barely heard the words of the curse mixed with the words 'As you wish'. Lily Potter fell to the ground, not a mark on her body but a look of failure impressed on her face.

Pointing the thirteen and a half inches of yew at the baby, a simple piece of wood that had done so much destruction in this incarnation as a wand, he opened his mouth to utter the words that would end it all. Baby Harry looked up into the eyes of the Dark Lord and wisdom much beyond his years reflected there. Voldemort hesitated for only a moment before roaring out 'Avada Kedavra'. A stream of acid green light poured forth from the tip of his wand and headed straight for the baby in the crib. Then something odd happened. The light stopped mid-air a mere inch from Harry's forehead. A sliver of it reached forward, tentatively and with great effort as though it were being pulled in the opposite direction, and etched something on his skin. Then quick as lightening it pulled back and surged backwards, towards the confused face of it's inflictor. It burrowed deep into Voldemort's stomach and a burst of white light broke around his body. A scream filled the air, the scream of an ancient protection spell that was being broken, as Harry's attacker hit the floor. His body writhed in agony, sending blasts of power off him in every direction, creating cracks in the walls and the ceiling around them. The baby hovered in mid-air as a golden light surrounded him and he was pulled out the window by an unseen force. The mystical forces that removed him from the disintegrating house rested him gently on a lopped off tree trunk, a blanket wrapped around him. Bricks popped out of the walls in all directions as a magical force blasted them away. Inside the house that was rapidly becoming rubble another agonized scream could be heard, this was of a man, a human voice. Voldemort had been rendered human. As the beams from the roof fell on him, covering his body, crushing his bones he felt the killing curse working it's way into his brain. Searing hot pokers probing his brain through his nose had nothing on this pain. He heard the giggle of a child, was it Harry? As his consciousness slipped away, so too did his body. A misty substance that was once the most feared wizard in all the world hovered over the remains of 521 Infaust Lane before whipping itself through the woods and far away.

As if someone had slapped him across the cheek Sirius Black suddenly remembered a morning two days ago when he'd run into Peter Pettigrew. Never known for his prowess at school with spells and potions his memory modifying charm on Padfoot had been unsuccessful and was now breaking down. A fog had lifted and as it did an address came floating into Black's mind, an address in Godrics Hollow, Wales - it had to be the Potter house. He set off on his bike immediately only to be met by smouldering ruins. He didn't need to sift through the ruins of the house to know that James and Lily Potter were among it, dead. The crackling of boots trampling on dried leaves met his ears and he turned to see the looming figure of Rubeus Hagrid standing off to the side with baby Harry in his arms.

Sirius dashed over to him and scooped Harry into his arms amazed at the child's apparent avoidance of the death and destruction but when he saw the scar on Harry's forehead he knew. Voldemort had tried to kill the baby too. He looked around the clearing quickly but didn't see the Dark Lord lingering. 'How is it you escaped Harry?' he murmured to the child. 'He wouldn't just have left you here, he would have finished you off'. The groundskeeper offered a tablecloth-sized handkerchief to the sobbing ex-student. Huge hands pulled him into a comforting hug that almost squashed poor Harry. 'There, there Sirius, it'll be okay. Now give Harry to me, I've got to take him straight to Dumbledore'

'No it's okay Hagrid, I'll take him. I'm his godfather, James and Lily would have wanted me to look after him'

'Sorry Sirius but I've got strict instructions from Professor Dumbledore'

'Right. Um...' he seemed lost for a moment but then something shifted inside of Sirius and his tears dried up as his grief turned to vengeance. 'Hagrid, take my bike, just get him out of here immediately.'

Hagrid nodded as he straddled the motorcycle. 'Whe're ya goin?'

'There's something I should have taken care of'' he Apparated out and left Hagrid sitting on the bike wondering.

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Across the country and indeed across the world Death Eater's woke up in their beds, hands clutched to scars sensing their master was calling them. Lights snapped on as they checked the colour. Red meant they were summoned and to appear by his side immediately. Green meant that he'd made a particularly vindictive kill and was pleased and wanted them all to know. Black meant nothing, it was always black. Severus Snape watched in wonder as the tattoo faded, bit by bit, to a washy grey colour and then completely disappeared. The Dark Lord had been defeated. And at that same moment a house number and street name popped into his head. Voldemort had been defeated that night but he'd found Lily and James Potter first.

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**Author's note (hehe and you thought that big one up the top was the only one):** I wanted to put in a bit that once the Fidelius Charm is broken everyone knows where they live, but the information doesn't actually mean anything to those that aren't involved in the whole saga. So across the country some five year old wizard to be could be sitting in the bath splashing about and an address pops into his head. He doesn't know why and he doesn't care, just wipes it from his memory. But if Dumbledore was sitting in the bath splashing about and an address popped into his head then he'd know it was Lily and James's house and to take action immediately. Plus I decided that the further away from the location you are, the longer it takes to hit you. Sirius was on his way home from Llanelli at the time, he was just passing through Swansea. Hagrid was in a town just next to Godric's Hollow. I have no idea why. When the address popped into his head he did that thing that Amos Diggory does when just his head comes through the fire to talk to Dumbledore and hence was given the instructions. As you can see, I hate to have plot holes. I just didn't want to write that all in the chapter or it would feel too much like an instruction booklet. On and there are two chapters to go. Then it's all over Red Rover, sniff.


	25. Desperation

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**PATH to DARKNESS** by Tyde

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**_Chapter Twenty Five – Desperation_**

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'James and Lily! How could you Sirius?!' Pettigrew's words of deception rang out clearly in the village street. Dozens of Muggles stopped their Saturday morning shopping to look at the two man squared off in the road like a wild west stand off. _They even have their hands at their sides as if to reach for a gun in a holster_ one hapless passer-by observed. Black's look of thunder scared many children into the comfort of their mother's arms or into the nearby sweet shop; little faces peeking through the glass panes.

They drew their wands at the exact same time. Wormtail cast a smoke charm and an incineration spell just as Padfoot yelled 'Stupefy!' Quick as lightening Peter severed his own finger, dropping it to the ground and diving through the crack that had opened in the footpath leading into the sewers. A dozen Muggles lay dead on the ground, parts of their bodies smouldering and looks of absolute horror plastered on their faces. Pettigrews wand lay on the ground next to his finger. Sirius looked around him anxiously, so many Muggles dead. _Where the devil has he gotten to? Where did that snivelling little rat bastard scuttle off to now?_ As he stepped forward to investigate thin cords wrapped themselves around him effectively stopping any movement. He heard the cry of a MOM minister off to the left. 'Hold it right there Black!' Cornelius Fudge strode into the street with his wand pointed firmly in the direction of Padfoot. 'Look what you did!' Loud pops issued from around them as wizards and witches from the Magical Enforcement Squad Apparated in to take Sirius away. Fudge immediately set about stupefying the entire street so no Muggle could escape before he had the chance to modify their memories and get an accurate account of exactly what had happened. Barty Crouch beckoned Fudge to come to him. Cornelius hurried over to tell the minister about the events.

'What happened Cornelius? Looks like he took out half the street'

'Exactly Barty. Poor Peter Pettigrew' he held up the finger as he said this 'was on the end of Black's wrath. Black was the Potter's secret keeper you know, betrayed them as soon as he could to Voldemort!' Fudge's look of sorrow over the deaths of Lily and James barely hazed the victory of himself being the one to catch the traitor. Crouch surveyed him carefully.

'Sirius Black is a Death Eater? He killed all of these innocent Muggles and Peter Pettigrew?' There was no disbelief in his voice, it was just as if he were putting the words out there, tasting them for what they were.

'Yes Barty, I saw it with my own eyes' He lied desperate to grab some glory. 'Peter's last words were for Lily and James, at least he died a hero'

Crouch turned towards his band of hit wizards and Aurors 'Take Black straight to Azkaban'. An Auror by the name of Longbottom stepped forward with his mouth open but his question wasn't allowed to be asked. 'No Frank. Fudge saw him with his own eyes. I can smell the guilt coming off him. Take him away now, a trial would only serve to prove what we know as fact, Sirius Black is a murdering traitor. Get him out of my sight before I do something I'm going to regret'.

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**COLD DEAD EYES OF A KILLER**

_Sirius Black, a trusted friend of the Potter family, was working for He Who Must Not Be Named. The Daily Prophet's sources can exclusively reveal that the ex-Hogwarts student betrayed a confidence to the Dark Lord and that led to the deaths of both Ms Lily Potter and Mr James Potter and the attempt on the life of infant Harry Potter. The Junior Minister for the Department of Magical Catastrophes, Mr Cornelius Fudge, witnessed a disturbing scene just yesterday in a Muggle village near Ribbesdale, Yorkshire. Following is his testimony of events._

_'After receiving word that the Potters had used the Fidelius Charm [ancient magicks that involved a trusted friend being a secret keeper and thus hiding their location from view] and that Sirius Black was the Secret Keeper my colleagues and I were instantly on the trail of Mr Black. I tracked him down in Giggleswick and he was preparing to murder Peter Pettigrew in plain sight. Apparently the destruction of his master the evening before had made him unstable. I was unfortunately not quick enough to stop the blast...ah wizard in question, and he slew poor Peter and a dozen Muggles. The team and I had a hard time trying to cover that up with the Muggles of course. Barty Crouch and his Hitwizards and Aurors Apparated in not long after and took him straight to Azkaban. They have assured me he with stay there until he rots. Of course the most disturbing thing is that you don't know who was in with that man that dared to call himself Lord. It could be your neighbour. Alastor Moody has assured me he'll get every last one of them and throw them into Azkaban where they belong'._

_In the opinion of this reporter, one cannot go any lower. Of course Peter Pettigrew will be awarded an Order of Merlin, class one posthumously and will be remembered in our prayers. It is believed that all they could return to his mother was a finger. Sirius Black simply blew him apart._

The article was accompanied with a particularly menacing photo of Sirius, bound in chains and beset by Dementors. He looked like a rabid dog, tiny flecks of spit had gathered at the corners of his mouth and it gave the appearance of foam. Severus threw the newsparchment into a drawer of his desk and removed a bottle of something.

He'd lost count of the drinks he'd poured now. It had taken at least half the bottle before his seething anger had squashed itself down into his gut. Now it was bubbling, simmering away but the grief was slowly starting to descend upon him.

His first thought had been to go to Azkaban, track down Sirius Black and curse him to death, but that somehow didn't seem enough. Severus wanted to tear the man apart with his bare hands, he wanted to stomp on his grinning face, crush his bones under his dragon hide boots but then it still wouldn't be enough.

_It wouldn't do to stoop to his level._

'He fed Lily to Voldemort on a bloody platter! All those smiles and laughter with her, he was just scheming away!'

_Killing him won't solve anything – it can't bring her back, nobody can do that. Face it like a man, Severus._

The voices of reason and hatred played an argument out in his head as he gulped another mouthful. The burning sensation of straight Firewhiskey was no longer something he felt. Tears splashed into his empty glass as he drew a sobbing breath.

_It's all my fault._

He emptied the bottle into his glass, watching the amber drops slowly dripping from the spout. He quickly downed this glassful and nearly chocked on a pocket of air he'd gulped as well in his haste. Snape reached into the cupboard, his fingers searching feverishly for another bottle, desperate to get at it before the voice continued.

_It is rather, isn't it? All Black did was provide the means to kill Lily, someone you never even had a claim over. One little betrayal was all he did. You betrayed everyone over and over again. How many people did you kill with your own hands? Your thoughts using the wand as a vessel to inflict death upon those you didn't like, those you didn't even know. You made that potion – he controls half the world with it now. How many others have you killed by association and you damn Black for just the one? It was two, remember? Don't forget James. It was two lives Black took but that can't hope to make a dint in your portfolio can it Severarse?' _His throat ached at the old familiar taunt._ 'Thank Merlin little Harry stopped him. No one knows exactly what happened that night but a mere baby had the guts to do what you couldn't. Rid the world of Voldemort._

'But he was invincible...I couldn't...' the words tumbled out of his mouth weakly.

_NONSENSE! Harry got him, didn't he? He banished the Dark Lord. You thought your spying was helping? Bollocks. It only served to get you back in Dumbledore's good books' _The cold voice continued on and on and Severus felt ready to rip his hair out, but he didn't. With his wand pointed at his own face he muttered the incantation and promptly fell into a heap on the floor. Severus Snape had stunned himself.

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Now that the Dark Lord had been destroyed the difference in the wizarding community was noticeably huge. Children played outside again, parties raged all night and Aurors were ruthless. Alastor Moody was the most ruthless and he bagged more death eaters than the rest of the Aurors put together. He was brutal and many thought a bit mad. That was what earned him the tag of Mad Moody and this was later amended to Mad Eye Moody when a Death Eater put up a fight and cursed the eye right out of his head. Moody's magical eye replacement served to make him that bit more paranoid. Barty Crouch proved to be merciless and the many trials drained him, especially when his own son was called up. Dumbledore had personally vouched for Severus and although the Potions master was relieved he still considered it a burden to owe his freedom to someone he had once despised. If his students had considered him mean and nasty before they were to be in for a nasty surprise as he added exceedingly bitter to the list of his emotions. Lucius and Narcissa had taken the 'under the thrall of Voldemort' defence and due to the Malfoy name and monetary influence they escaped persecution. Though many escaped a term in Azkaban there were some who didn't and would spend their lives rotting away in a cell guarded by the Dementors that had once fought alongside of them. 

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**Author's note:** Is it silly to feel excitement (both good and bad) about a story finally coming to an end and you're the one writing it? Does it say that I'm really narcissistic if I enjoy reading my own stories? I think it's just because it involves the Harry Potter universe and who doesn't get excited about that stuff??!! One more chapter to go. Tick tick tick.

**Colleen** – yay to you too!

**Arien** – Now it's only one more chapter. Hope your lip doesn't go into convulsions :o) I never wanted it to end either, but it must.


	26. Swallow It

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**PATH to DARKNESS** by Tyde

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**_Chapter Twenty Six – Swallow It_**

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It was when he was throwing out all the empty liquor bottles that it really hit him. He'd been a complete and utter fool. He'd let his emotions control his life. He'd been sobbing over someone who didn't even know that he cared, not really. This whole incident had turned him into a fluttering little girl and he hated it. He hated it even more than he hated Sirius Black if that was possible. He sat down on his couch and a cold expression over took his face. _No emotions anymore Severus. See what they do to you? Make you weak, pathetic, a blubbering fool. Do not hand your life over to romantic tragedy. I think you know what you have to do._

Snape shuffled into his kitchen and quickly lit the fire under his potions cauldron. He grabbed bottles and containers out of the cupboard and set the ingredients up on the wooden bench in front of him. It would take a lot of different things to create just what it was that he needed. The potion grew steadily as he reached for the last few ingredients. _Just a pinch of __Mullein__ and a few spoonfuls of Hyssop solution ought to do it_. He mixed it all with a large staff that he kept for just a purpose. It was bubbling away and he knew it had nothing to do with the fire beneath it. The mixture turned a sickly blackish-purple colour, the colour you might see if you cut open someone's stomach and pulled out their liver. It smelled as rotten as a tip full of garbage but he didn't care. Ladling a serving into his favourite goblet he pinched his nose closed and forced the potion down his throat. A warmth spread through his entire circulatory system and within minutes had been replaced by a feeling of coolness, like ice running through his veins. He found his heart no longer ached, his mind cleared of stupid thoughts of love and happiness. He sighed, not with happiness but a contentment that can only be achieved by bringing all your hatred to the surface. He'd made it very strong and wasn't sure if he'd need more. No one had ever made such a potion before, he had nothing to base it on. He poured the rest of the cauldron's contents into a large vat and stored it in the pantry.

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The big book of names was in an alcove off McGonagall's office and at the beginning of every school year the teachers and Headmaster would have a quick meeting discussing the numbers and class schedules. Minerva read the list of new students out, pointing out that the number of Muggleborns had increased from last year (Albus nodded his head with approval) and that several old wizarding families had sons and daughters joining Hogwarts that September. At the mention of Harry Potter's name Dumbledore looked out of the corner of his sparkling eyes at Severus and noticed the man's expression seemed as stony as it had the last few weeks. He took him aside after the meeting and spoke just a few words.

'Severus I know how you felt about James but if you could perhaps curb your blind hatred of Harry I would appreciate it' Albus was only half serious with the blind hatred comment but Snape just blinked as if he'd said something totally normal.

'Don't know what you're talking about Headmaster. This Potter is just another student isn't he?'

Dumbledore's face wrinkled with perplexity. 'Yes, he is. Are you alright Severus?' He couldn't find an answer for the bewildering behaviour his Potions master was exhibiting.

'Fit as a fiddle. Are you alright Albus? You look tired'

'I'm fine. Not as young as I once was, but fine all the...' he trailed off as Snape spun on his heel and stalked down the hall. The Headmaster's magically enhanced voice chased Snape down the hall and seemed to nudge him in the back of the neck. 'I hadn't finished Severus. Kindly turn around and make those legs of yours move in the direction of my study. I want to talk to you about something'.

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He couldn't believe Dumbledore had given the Defence Against the Dark Arts position to Quirrell. Quirrell, the stuttering fool he'd had the misfortune to be friends with in their first years at school. Just cause he'd gone on some sabbatical to further study the art didn't mean he was anymore qualified to teach it in Snape's opinion. 'I lived and breathed the bloody Dark Arts for years!' he'd ranted at the Headmaster but to no avail.

'Which is exactly why you're staying as Potions master Severus. Temptation can be a lethal thing. I trust you but I don't trust the thrall of the darkness. It might just grab you and not let go. What would bring you back from the brink this time?'

The words had stung. Snape always assumed that Albus didn't really think his reasons for coming back to the fold were at all noble. Sure save some bird he'd fallen for at school, but damn all others. Try as he might he couldn't seem to remember why it was that he'd been so infatuated with her in the first place. He smiled as he remembered the potion. 'Very effective Severus' he congratulated himself. 'You ought to bottle it, sell it off and make thousands of galleons from it. What broken-hearted wizard wouldn't want a quick fix? Something to instantly mend a heart that had seemed beyond repair.' His shadow crept along the walls towards his study with himself not far behind it. _Perhaps I'll look into buying an apothecary, have a stock of some under the counter type concoctions. It'll get me out of this hell hole that's for sure. And away from all these exasperating little children that wouldn't know a bezoar if it struck them in the face._

'Chapparal' he growled at the giant serpent's head that blocked the entrance to his office. It jumped aside quickly and allowed him access. His blood was boiling and he wasn't sure if it was the potion wearing off or if the thought of Dumbledore not trusting him brought the ire to the surface. _But he did say he trusted you_. 'That's not the bloody point! I don't feel it!' he grumbled at the stone covered walls of his bathroom. With a flick of his wand the tub was filled with icy water and he stripped down - which took considerable time taking into account all his layers. He ripped his tunic-like shirt off with one hand, the ragged edges tickling his bare skin. The aggravation was growing within him, screaming to be let out. You could see it in the tense set of his shoulders, in the sharp curve of his neck. Snape revelled in the frosty temperature of the bath water and sank down into it gratefully.

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Out of all the years he had lived Severus Snape knew this year was going to be the hardest on him. For that was the year that Harry Potter started at Hogwarts. It was something that was liable to drive him to distraction. He was the son of his greatest enemy and yet he was also born of Lily, the love of his life who was now dead. He owed it to her memory to look out for the boy. Running his hands through his hair he sighed and looked out the window, all his thoughts swirling together and coming up with just one defining revelation. 

The boy who lived would constantly remind him of the woman he had loved. And that was something that would slowly tear him apart. The feeling of white hot tears started to prickle at the corner of his eyes and he slammed his chair across the room angrily. 'I will not be made to suffer!' he screamed. 'Damn this'.

With a scowl decorating his face and frustration bubbling up inside of him Severus Snape stormed into his pantry and grabbed a cupful of the potion he'd made weeks ago. In just ten seconds his veins were filled with ice-coolness and he'd forgotten all about Lily Potter and any feelings he may have had. But it wasn't good enough. The power of seeing Lily's son every day at school would break down the potion and he'd never be able to make enough of it to make it all go away again. The screams of his victims echoed in his head on those dark and stormy nights. You know the ones, that always seemed to bring past sins to the surface in technicolour and surround sound. It was painful for him, so very painful, but he knew that he deserved it. Dumbledore could see it too, that the black sheep of his faculty was just barely scraping by but there was nothing he could do to help. Some memories and feelings just can't be erased and Severus Snape was going to keep discovering that...along with a mountain of pain.

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**THE END - EXITUS**

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**Author's note:** Wow. It's really ended. Hmmm. And Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is released in my neck of the woods today. Seems appropriate timely to post this then. Huge thanks need to go out to a bunch of websites and people, without whom I would not have been able to do this (geez I sound like I'm accepting an Oscar or something hehe).

**The Harry Potter Lexicon** – http://www.i2k.com/~svderark/lexicon/index-2.html for providing that much needed info from the books so I didn't need to lug all four books around with me all the time and so my story could correlate with actual events in the books.

**Latin Dictionary** - http://www.nd.edu/~archives/latin.htm for all the incantations for the spells that I made up in the various chapters. And a lot of the people's names and stuff. For instance Narcissa's last name (before she was Malfoy of course) means bitch. Hehe.

**Reference Guide for HERBS** - http://www.realtime.net/anr/herbs.html for all the information it provided on herbs so the potions could sound vaguely plausible.

**K-da-great (Kelly)** – For being my very first reviewer. I'd posted a few chapters and I honestly thought that there was no one out there reading until you came along! I understand that a lot of people will read things and not review, but I'm a compulsive reviewer (unless it's really bad and then I don't review cause I don't like to flame) so I wanted everyone else to be like that too. And you kept reviewing too! Hey if you'd never reviewed I may never have come across your story, The Road Not Taken, and that would have been a great loss. It's faboo darling!

**Arien (Carasiel)** – You compulsive reviewer! Thank you, thank you, thank you! The mentions of publishing and goddess stuff will make me happy for at least a year! :o) My brother-in-law has the Lord of the Rings books, I'll have to borrow them from him and get down to some reading!

And to the other fabulous reviewers – **CrinkleCutRuffles, bluemeanies, Emily, Dymphna, Sila-chan, Charmed Vampyre, Big Blank Space of No Name person, Colleen and Fish (the fish)** – I love you all!

So that's it. The cat has left the basket. All over red rover. But I will return (actually I already have, I couldn't wait to post so I put it up on Wednesday). It's going to be a shortish story (five or so chapters). It's about Hermione and Ron. A little romance (although I suck at writing that). Good bye and thanks.


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